We've moved, lock, stock and barrel, to Windsor, South Carolina. There are many things about the area that make me think it's great. First, there is the footing - sand. The footing is perfect for riding or driving 365 days of the year. Second are the dirt roads in Windsor. Not much traffic, and when you do encounter a car or truck, they tend to be polite and slow down when they see a horse.
Windsor is near Aiken, SC, and about the same distance from Augusta, GA (home of the Masters Golf Tournament) and Columbia, SC. Both Augusta and Columbia have nice airports and have lots of amenities. Aiken itself is a beautiful old southern town with a long history of horses in all disciplines, and a number of good restaurants and stores, including some good tack shops.
Aiken features a 2000 acre park in the center of the town, Hitchcock Woods. Riders, carriage drivers, and hikers with or without their dogs are welcome (well behaved dogs can be off leash). See http://www.hitchcockwoods.org/ for more info. There is a good map and many of the trails are marked with signs. There are jumps in the woods for riders and the area is foxhunted this time of year.
A number of carriage drivers either live in Aiken county full time, part time or are visiting this time of year. The local driving club, http://www.aikendrivingclub.com/, is very active and welcoming. There are a number of activities both on the weekends and during the week, for pleasure drivers, recreational drivers and combined drivers. There are many instructors, trainers and clinics to choose from if you are here to improve your driving.
The weather here is not as warm as Florida, cool at night but usually warms to the 50's or 60's during the day this time of year. The horses do not get all the skin conditions that seem to be prevalent in Florida. Horses that live here often go barefoot all year round.
If you'd like to learn more about the area, see:
http://www.aikenhorsesonline.com/ lots of information about horse life in the area
http://www.theaikenhorse.com/ a print and online newspaper that has news on what is going on in Aiken
