Have no idea about composting. I do know that the pine needles are used as mulch around azaleas, rhododendrons, etc for the acidic value to these plants if that helps any.

The pine needles should compost fine, if mixed with plenty of green lawn clippings. Pine needles tend to keep the pile open to air, which helps speed the composting. Since pine needles are dry they have little nitrogen which is necessary to composting. The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by Organic Gardening Magazine lists pine needles as having 0.46% nitrogen. Oak leaves in comparison are listed as having 0.80% nitrogen, so something green and full of nitrogen is needed to get the compost process going. Alfalfa hay has a fairly high nitrogen content of 2.45%. Blood meal has bang-for-the-buck with 13.00% nitrogen. Below is a link to a partial list of compostable ingredients.
view link

Adding compost to southern garden soil is perhaps more important than in northern gardens. Southern soils that don't freeze as long or deeply have more active microorganisms which consume the organic matter in the soil quicker. This makes it easier to build humus in the soil of a northern garden.

Thanks for the info! What a cool website, had never run across it, just spent 1/2 hour there and plan on going back.

Have a horse pasture next door with one horse in it. The neighbors are going to be sure I'm a "crazy Yankee" when they see me out there picking up horse droppings!

I'm glad you found the link so helpful. It's excellent that you have a horse pasture right next door. Horse manure is (IMO) the best manure for getting a compost pile going. Hopefully, your neighbors won't mind sharing the manure; they might want it for their own garden. : D