Equestrian communities that have worked

[Erika]

The horse that I part-board is kept at an equestrian community that is in development. It is very basic - indoor arena (decent sized), outdoor arena and plenty of hacking. No party rooms, pools, tennis courts. etc. So far, the developer has just sold lots and built the road - no additional houses have been built.

The premise is that the horse owners will keep their horses at home, and have access to the facilities. The indoor boarding & outdoor boarding spots are full at this time by horses owned by non lot owners. Maybe that will change once a house or two is built.

It’s a nice concept for sure, but I can see the need for a larger indoor at some point (4 horses makes it feel crowded at its current state), and maybe another outdoor arena added. As with everything, money plays a factor and I am sure they will expand when a need is demonstrated.

[clanter]

As with most places it’s the HOA that becomes the ‘challenge’ for many/most.

As stated I live within a City that has zoning and ordinances that I have to deal with, the Good Natured Citizens are really at time difficult to deal with. In rewriting the Animal Control ordinance they wished to place limits upon those residents who have livestock using wording of pony and horse but had no understanding as just what they were. I took a real Horse (15.2h) and Pony (14.1+) to the meeting then asked each to tell me with was the Pony, none identified the correct animal

[exvet]

Agreed that there is no way to please everyone. We have some ‘interesting’ rules that have been added/changed in regards to horse keeping over the 2-3 year period we’ve owned the lot(s). I’ve been able to watch this place from its inception. There have been better and worse management/neglect of the horse facilities. Currently we are at an all time high in regards to effort to maintain the horse facilities including gracious donations by some of the residents who have horses here - some board at the facility and some are kept at home. Like most public boarding facilities there are rules as to who can use what, when and how. No youngsters allowed to blast off, etc. There is also A LOT of open minded individuals with open lots that let boarders/other resident’s who don’t own horse lots but have horses use their lots for turnout. There is renumeration involved but so far I’ve seen where there’s a will there’s a way win out in this community. It also is likely that because the boarders (non-residents and residents) are mostly over 50 there’s more consensus in making decisions/changes focused on safety for man and beast alike.

I am at a point in my riding career that I no longer breed and am down to 4. One (retired) is on indefinite loan to a friend/colleague who needs a babysitter. I still show and train but have done more with less for so long that I’m adaptable. I also spend very little time with the coffee-clutching crowd. HOWEVER, as may have been noted, and if not I will point out that I still own other equine properties. I plan to hang on to those (rent one out for now) just to have something in my back pocket should it become necessary. So far I see most people trying to work together. The greatest ‘angst’ other than some nit-picking is that the community is divided in opening the very nice facilities up to host shows or similar activities. The schooling dressage shows and clinics continue as they have been over the past two decades, some of the other events have been run off/shut down due to the difficulties with some of the residents. This I see ebbing and flowing as days go by. I have tentative plans to break one of mine to drive. Now that may cause some commotion but I don’t think it will be that hotly contested due to the fact I keep our horses on our lot(s) and the trails are not only vast enough with the roads being very safe but there are just too few people using any one component of the facilities at any one time.

[AllTheCarrots]

I hack out in an area that has several HOAs linked by dedicated bridle trails that are recorded in the bylaws. While many/most of the farmette-sized properties had horses at home at one point, these days most of the barns we pass have been converted to other uses. Kids grow up, adults grow older, homes get sold to non-horsey people.

The result is that the trails aren’t always well-maintained, and sometimes homeowners attempt to fence in or fence off space/access that isn’t theirs to control. I’ve also had my share of interesting encounters on the trails, most involving dogs under questionable control or behind questionable fences (invisible or otherwise).

I think it’s relatively easy to set up these sorts of communities with the best, most idealistic intentions, but their ongoing, multi-decade success is a much harder prospect.

[3Grays]

So curious! I may have missed it, but did you mention where your horse community is located? It sounds EXACTLY like something I’m looking for in Maryland or Virginia. Many thanks.

[exvet]

It’s in Arizona. The only ones on the East Coast that I’m aware of are Balsam Mountain Preserve in North Carolina (~45 minutes from Asheville) and the one in Tryon. I’m sure there are others but we had friends scope these two out and end up here.

[RMJacobs]

That sounds a lot like where I used to live: Homestead Hills outside Parker, CO. When my husband was on the board, he was pushing a project to clean up our bridle trails. But most residents no longer cared. He got enough done so that I could drive my ponies on one section of the trail, but that was as far as I could go as there was a ravine I couldn’t get the cart through. I had a lot of fun driving that one section. I could turn into a local park in a nearby subdivision. I stopped to let my pony rest a bit there, and we would get surrounded by kids who wanted to pet the horsie. They were good about taking turns and not crowding him, and he loved the attention. We’d come into the park, and I would hear the kids yell “There’s Salt!” They didn’t know my name, but they sure knew the pony’s name.

Rebecca