Husband and I are venturing into our first horse property in the next year 
We’re browsing now but likely not putting any offers on anything for another year, with hopes of moving into something in spring 2018.
What are some of the key things I should be asking that I wouldn’t think to ask about horse property, in particular?
We’re looking for something small in terms of horses. 3-4 horses at most, if that helps. Nothing commercial.
Thanks in advance.
Awesome! Hooray for your next big step!
Manure - think about manure. Where is it going to go? What will you do with it? When you consider that each horse can make around 50 pounds daily, even with 3 or 4 horses it adds up quickly!
Absolutely manure management!
Also consider local regulations when looking at property. You don’t say where you are, but not a lot of geographic distance can still sometimes mean some pretty huge differences in how easy horse keeping is, with regard to city or county stuff.
Eyeball the drive for ease of access for hay and other big trucks.
Consider hay storage, and what kind of hay is commonly available in your area. Storage and access for rounds is different than large squares is different than small squares.
Look around for spigots and electrical. Running 100 ft of hose and extension cord down to a field sucks in the winter. Trenching is costly.
Look for a place surrounded by other horse properties, as opposed to a place which allows horses but none of the neighbors has them. This will protect you future horsey lifestyle and you won’t be facing potential complaints or fights with neighbors. Also, a group of like-minded people will campaign together to keep trails accessible, zoning amenable, and parks available.
One thing which I really wanted was access to riding trails which does not involve riding on roads with vehicles.
Thanks for all of this info! We are looking in fairly horsey areas - Suffield and Granby CT (north of Hartford) and open to towns in that area.
If the property is allowed to have horses, can later neighbors cause a fuss about it? (Am I totally naive for asking this?)
I am really excited to have this possibility on the horizon and so appreciate the guidance!
first, counting and addition work differently in horse world: 3 to 4 horses actually means 6 to 8 horses
however when figuring costs whatever you think it is going to be you need to multiply that by at least 2
and when cornering Time, what ever you think it would be it is multiplied by 4 to obtain actual time required
We just moved from MN to Sandy Hook. I know a great horse specific realtor. PM me for her contract info! She was of great help with our hunt.
Cross search every MLM listing with the actual county records. Lots of false advertising in for sale listings. You definitely want to find out if there are any restrictions on a property.
And unless you have an unlimited budget, have a good idea what you are willing to compromise on. It is way too much work, too expensive and too frustrating to have to fix up every outbuilding and the home on the property.
Originally posted by starhorse
If the property is allowed to have horses, can later neighbors cause a fuss about it? (Am I totally naive for asking this?)
Yes, it happens all the time. The horse owners at my tack/feed store have been complaining about new neighborhoods bringing residents who complain about the horses and try to limit horse activities in that very horse-oriented community. It is not something you would expect to hear since the new residents knew before they moved in that the town is very horse friendly.
Look for a place surrounded by other horse properties, as opposed to a place which allows horses but none of the neighbors has them. This will protect you future horsey lifestyle and you won’t be facing potential complaints or fights with neighbors. Also, a group of like-minded people will campaign together to keep trails accessible, zoning amenable, and parks available.
This! We are dealing with this right now, we are in an equestrian neighborhood where residents are allowed to have 3-5 horses, depending on their lot size. But, we have next-door neighbors who are a thorn in our side because they don’t have horses and constantly complain to our HOA about our horses. Because of them, we have our house on the market so we can move to a more horse-dense area!
The other biggie is drainage! Make sure the land isn’t down in a low spot or flat as a pancake. Go check out potential properties after heavy rains and see how it’s draining. You’ll spend a fortune re-grading and adding drainage if the property doesn’t drain well.
If you are looking in a somewhat horsey area find a real-estate agent that specializes in horse farms. They can usually have an extensive personal back ground with horses. Grew up on a farm, worked with and or owned horses for years and know the drill.
There should know where the “holes” are with a horse property.
They should be well versed with the local horse zoning laws, ordinances.
If a property is zoned for horse activities the existing zoning can’t be “downgraded”. In other words if they property is zoned for 5 horses it can’t be change to 4. The existing zoning can/will be grandfathered. But it can be modified with other restrictions. Which may effect it value to future horse property buyers.
As other have said check the availability of service providers. Vets, farriers, feed, hay and bedding suppliers. If it is sparsely horse populated and or the property is on the outskirts the travel time may make if difficult to get reliable Vets and farriers. Or you will have to pay a larger farm call fee. Farriers may be booked up.
A good horse farm real-estate agent should know about these things. And provide numbers to call and check on availability before you purchase. Having more than one horse makes taking on a new client more attractive.
Having a Home Depot, Lowes etc and or a good Hardware Farm services business close by is extremely handy.
Check for wetlands – even those that are not desiginated as wetlands.
Sellers often ‘neglect’ to tell buyers about sections of the property that are wet and stay wet – and are basically useless for pasture or riding.
Also do yourself a favor and start talking to lenders, now. Depending on the property size, you may find that you are “non-conforming” for residential real financing. You may need to go to Farm Credit or some other specialty lender. Nothing wrong with that at all; my farm was financed by Farm Credit. It’s just that knowing the parameters of what is and is not going to be acceptable to your lender will save you considerable time when shopping.
Do not, do NOT- consider land that needs clearing. Overgrown and neglected pasture is one thing- forest is something entirely di$$erent altogether
Soil type (drainage)
Water source (amount and quality)
Climate (stay out of rain belts, mud and wet environment is a constant problem with horses). If dry, having irrigation rights is important.
The bigger, the better. Having pasture and room to do what you want to do is priceless.
Good luck, and enjoy the process! BTDT.
Thanks, all! Simkie, I will definitely bug you in about a year, if that’s OK, to get your realtor’s name! Do they work up in this area too? Sandy Hook is not super close.
[QUOTE=PeteyPie;8993529]
Yes, it happens all the time. The horse owners at my tack/feed store have been complaining about new neighborhoods bringing residents who complain about the horses and try to limit horse activities in that very horse-oriented community. .[/QUOTE]
most cities have a Master Plan that is used to guide the direction of the city’s zoning laws … I spent time to make sure the presence of horses in our community was foundational, that livestock was part of the heritage of our community… if for some reason there is deviation at least I have the grounds established to make them correct the error of their ways (without going to court)
What gumtree said about grandfathering zoning is true IF you take possession while zoning is in effect.
Since you are looking with an eye to buying in a year, make sure you verify the zoning regs before putting in any offer.
My little 5ac farmette was legally zoned to have 3 horses (or other “large animals”) when I bought. 3ac for the 1st, 1 added acre for each added animal.
The next year zoning was changed so you were required to have 5ac for the 1st, then add’l acre for each animal.
I am grandfathered so I can still have my 3, but not sure a future buyer would have the option.
Otherwise, you already have lots of good advice here.
IIWM & budget allowed, I’d look for a property suitable to building my own barn.
Too many places I looked at had barns, but the rehab required would have been almost as pricy as putting up a new pole bldg. Or I would have had to tailor my style of horsekeeping to existing barn’s shortcomings/inefficiencies.
Instead I settled for flat acreage with a house that needed only some cosmetic renovation.
I used my experience boarding & as a working student to design a place that is easy to upkeep for me alone.
Nothing I would change* almost 13yrs later & my barn has gotten compliments from a lot of “pros”: vet, farrier, trainer & friends with horses who say “Wish I would have done my place like 2 Dogs”.
*if I could I’d swing the house 180degrees so I could see my horses from somewhere besides my MBR bathroom window 
Following this closely, we are looking to purchase horse property in NoVa in the late fall/winter.
This in spades!
Signed,
Someone who did not do her homework on the availability of service providers. :lol:
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