Building Retirement Farm

[2DogsFarm]

Agreed, making sure zoning will allow you to have the 2 horses is primary.
After that you need to find out restrictions on adding outbuildings.
You may be limited to a pasture shelter.
If so, check Horizon Structures as they are not considered permanent & could give you a shedrow-type structure that would suit your purposes.

I keep 3 - horse, piny & mini - on less than 5ac (my total lot) inuding a 46X36 center aisle pole barn & attached 60X120 indoor.
My “big” pasture is just under 2ac, smaller is 1/2ac, sacrifice area surrounds the front of the barn & back of stalls & opens to both fields.
Nobody could call my pastures *lush", but with grass in, hay consumption drops dramatically.
I do feed hay year-round, but right now I split a flake between horse & pony, mini gets a handful.
All are fat as ticks (in a good way).

[clanter]

After that you need to find out restrictions on adding outbuildings.

and get it in writing

I asked and was told 10 feet side lot line setback … built at 15 feet to be on a safer side, so was my thought… inspected by city said tear it down as you are too close the side lot line. What? …it is supposed to be 25 feet for lots in this zoning district. But I was TOLD 10 feet. You were TOLD wrong.

Had to file for a variance which cost additional money and was not assured that I would get… the ordeal put a stop work order on my barn for nearly two months . Was “granted” the variance.

That was ages ago, to my surprise three years ago the city changed the side lot set backs for my zoning to ten feet… to be uniform was the comment.

So if they tell you something either get them to give you it writing or write it down yourself and have THAT official sign the document.

And just because you are legal when you built who knows what they will change and screw up so you have to remain vigilant otherwise what ever you have built may not be able to go forward when you sell.

I have to be at the next P&Z meeting to ask them about my lot’s acre number 2 as the some one changed the ordnance’s wording that leaves the second acre completely out as used in calculation of number head allowed.

[2DogsFarm]

:yes: What @clanter said.

My 5ac wase legally zoned for 2 large animals - 3.5ac for the 1st, add’l acre for each added - when I bought.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹ I was grandfathered when zoning changed to 5ac per 1

[clanter]

@2DogsFarm

:yes: What @clanter said.

My 5ac wase legally zoned for 2 large animals - 3.5ac for the 1st, add’l acre for each added - when I bought.
I was grandfathered when zoning changed to 5ac per 1

normally any “grandfathering” (or variances) does not continue forward when the land changes hands, the current requirements become effective

[moving_to_dc]

I keep my seniors on about 2.5 acres of pasture in Maryland. Lost one at 33, and currently have three ages: 43, 24 and 24. I have 12x12 stalls that open into a 16’ deep lean-to that is connected to a 40x80 drylot. The 2.5 acres is fenced off into 5 long narrow sections, each accessed by a gate off the drylot or the lean-to. I have grass from mid-March until late October. I haven’t fed hay in months… and I have so much grass that I have to mow. I rotate thru the sections based largely on the weather. The more rain we have, the more the horses graze. If it is drought conditions, I will lock horses in the drylot and feed hay until the fields recover.

The drylot has a base of double crushed asphalt, and stays dry during the wet season.

The barn has a feed/tack room, livestock feed area, and 4 goat kidding stalls across from the horse stalls. It is tight and cozy, but it works perfect for my old guys. It has great ventilation year round, but can be closed up during storms. I truly love it, even though it is far from fancy, it is perfectly functional.

I can feed roundbales using the “peel and feed” method with the bale stored under cover. I cannot store any outside, nor can I set a bale out, as the bales do mold in our wet climate before the horses can eat them. However, I do have friends and neighbors using Bale Barns and Hay Huts that can feed rounds without worry. Round bales are certainly the most economical option.

[AEQ817]

Thanks everyone for the comments. As far as the 1.5 acres, i will check with zoning. I would plan to have a small drylot and a grass field for then it is dry. Currently my horses are at a show barn and get very little turnout in a small lot, so I was hoping to improve that for them in the future.