I have never been to FL, but I'm considering going January-March this winter. Winters in VT really put a damper on riding and there are no barrel races. I found a farm to potentially board at in Ocala, but was wondering if anyone on here lives in Ocala and could give me some advice and barn suggestions. This barn offers trailer hook ups, so I will be living in my LQ trailer. My husband and I are going to fly down to check out this farm. Is a stall a must? I'm interested in self care board with individual turnout. There are stalls available there but I don't know due to the FL heat if I should get one? My gelding is out 24/7 which he likes.

Your horse should be ok outdoors Jan-March. The real heat starts May-ish.

There is usually a GREAT barrel race over the Jan 1 weekend in Ocala.

I'm 2 hrs from Ocala so I dont know anything about boarding, etc but good luck. Sounds like a great vacation!

Thank you! Is that the no bull race? Any tips for FL and horses? I'll be by myself so will be a bit lonely, but looking forward to staying consistent with riding.

No it is not No Bulls. Its called the Stopianio Memorial. No Bulls is second/third week in Jacksonville.

BUGS! Even in winter there are bugs, not as bad and it depends on where you are but be ready. Fly spray, fly protection.

If you don't give West Nile and EEW vaccines you should do so now and give a booster three weeks later. I wouldn't come to FL without both of those.

There are a few trail riding FB groups in the area you might be able to join.

There are tons of barrel races in Ocala/Reddick area. You won't have any problem finding somewhere to go.

I can get chilly during those months so if you blanket you should have those handy. The weather goes hot/cold overnight and it can cause horses to slow their drinking down. Might wanna keep electrolytes onboard and wathc the water intake.

Thank you for all your advice! Much appreciated!! I do blanket. What are the average day/night temps in the winter? He is vaccinated for both of those, but I wonder if I should do a booster in December? He got those done in April. Are there a lot of snakes?

You are welcome!

I only vaccinate once a year but I think a lot of vets recommend twice. I've never had any problems with once.

LOLOL there is no average. Some winters it is warmer, some it freezes a night or two then warms right back up for a few then freezes (around 25-30deg) again.

I guess it gets around the 70's most days with dips below and above depending on how Mother Nature feels.

Snakes are around but not as bad during the winter. I live in the woods and rarely see them but you always should watch the ground around you and never pick anything up without checking/bumping/kicking it first.

If bugs are a problem you'd certainly want someplace for your horse to get inside.  Loafing shed or something of the sort.

My sister is living in the Villages near Orlando.  It rains almost every day.  She loves it but I don't think I would.

i might be wrong but i know  years ago  ocala was a horse raceing farm mecca  if you like horse stuff  check it out

I would have some sort of shelter because it can rain everyday and I always had to battle rain rot when I lived in Florida. Unless the price is significantly higher...in that case I would try and hose the horses everyday to get the "gunk" off.

I have always lived in Florida, one hour north of Ocala. My horses have no shelter other than trees and have been just fine. There is a No Bulls in Ocala  Jan 17th weekend. The No Bulls is in Jacksonville is the weekend of Jan 3rd.... There is also Shamrock Showdown in Jacksonville March 27th...These are the bigger shows but there are plenty every weekend and some on weekdays. I hope you enjoy your stay!

I am 2 hours from Ocala in Valdosta, Georgia. During those months, there will be little to no bugs in Florida. Snakes will be few and far between--you'd likely never see one. They are a summer thing. Temperature is kind of unpredictable, but to what you're used to, it will seem to you to be incredibly mild. Here, we get below freezing a handful of times at night, but normal highs during the day are 50-70 during the winter. Some winters are rainy, some aren't. Just depends. I think your horse would have no problems being out 24/7 in the mild conditions considering what he handles fine in VT. There are many jackpots and shows within a 2 hour radius. There are big ones in both Ocala and Jacksonville. I'd recommend staying at a barrel-oriented facility so you can network and have friends to travel with to races/events. Ocala is heavily race/english oriented, however, there really are horses everywhere and lots of tack shops and lots of events. You wouldn't have any problem. 

Where I board, we have a guy who comes down to NBHA world show in Perry GA in October and he stays with us after the show in his LQ trailer until April, when he heads back up to Michigan. 

Thank you! I've been on Craigslist in Ocala looking at boarding facilities..and I haven't seen any that are predominatly barrel racing..I might find an Ocala FB group and ask for barn suggestions..

The place I was talking about in my original post offers a LQ hookup right there, so it would be nice to be right there with him, but it looks like its a racing/english barn. I saw a couple mobile home parks that offer hookups, but they were pretty expensive and that's not really where I want to be. I would definitly need an arena, and some of the boarding places I saw on Craigslist didn't have that. Self care board is a must, because I really won't have anything else to do. Just going to be me and my dog. 

Your best bet may be to find a barrel racer or trainer that wants a hand. You could camp there in exchange for you helping them. That’s what our guy from Michigan does. He works (kind of) in exchange for horse board and power. 

on facebook look for nicolemonroe brett monroe wife her daughter macie ford  lives down that way  bonnie nettles know lots of pepole too down there

they on facebook

I spent a couple of weeks in FL trail riding in February, this place has nice stalls, big outdoor arena and camping hook ups and a pool.

We didn't like the trails too swampy but sure enjoyed the arena.

http://goethetrailcamping.com/-horse-amenities.html