Micro farmette - am I crazy?

[McGurk]

McGurk’s rule of thumb for horse and pasture management is: the smaller the acreage in pasture, the higher the cost in labor and materials to keep a horse. I think 1.3 acres with a house (meaning also a driveway, drain field and landscaping) is going to be a very expensive proposition because of hay, bedding and labor.

I keep my horses at home for considerably less than I would pay to board them anywhere, but I have 10 acres for 2 1/3 horses and a local inexpensive source for hay.

The barn you’re boarding in probably isn’t making money on board, they’re probably charging pretty close to what it costs them AND you won’t have the discounts involved in buying in bulk.

Unless you want to buy this house entirely for it’s proximity to the barn, I don’t think it’s worth it. And I seriously doubt it will be cost effective.

[CLB15]

Where I live, small properties are the norm. I live in a very farm friendly town, but with lots of new development and the cost of real estate, the number of small (1.5-3AC) farms outnumber the remaining big farms. Even where I grew up 45 minutes away, drylot paddocks & riding rings were the norm, grass turnout was not.
I’ve been building my place from scratch- house was good but was completely tucked in the woods. I went for it because the land is level and dry, and even considering the costs to make it a little farmette it was less than the existing horse properties I was getting into bidding wars on. I have just shy of 2 very useable acres. Good layout, ideal drainage, just works really well. 6 out of 10 houses closest to me are the same size lot also with little farmettes. Issues with horse smell and bad neighbors isn’t a concern with close quarters, though we do have lots of conservation land surrounding us and everyone is pretty meticulous about their setup and cleaning/maintenance.
For me, I needed to buy a house and for my commute to work and budget, the house I got fit the bill and also works out that I can keep my horses at too. Thee barn where I still have 1 and used to have all of my horses, is just 15 minutes away so not an issue if I needed to move the horses there while on vacation, or have someone come look after them while I’m away. There’s also no issues in my area with disposing of manure for free, and for having consistent hay supplies year round.
What I thought i wanted was 10 acres of pasture and horses living out year round with hay in the winter. What I got is a property that can fit a nice riding area, a few drylot paddocks that give the horses room to move 24/7 with hay, plenty of vehicle & trailer parking, and will have a couple little grass paddocks for seasonal partial day turnout. I also have a buffer of lawn around the house that is horse-free, so while it’s a small place there are distinct “hobby farm” and “normal person living” areas. If I did not have a riding ring, I would have an area of more grass for seasonal partial day turnout. Having a small hobby barn setup is much easier to maintain then 10 acres would have been (now with what I have, I can’t imagine having a bigger place with the time & equipment requirements that would come with it.)
If you’re looking for a house anyway, then why not go with one abutting your barn, even if it’s small. If drylot paddocks and limited grass are OK for your horse as it is for horses & owners in a lot of places, no big deal. Just plan out all the details well.

[clanter]

my initial concern is the dry lot being on the public side if the property…

you should also check the setback requirements (if any ) regarding fencing. We have limits as to how close we can come to the front property line, this not uncommon.

[js]

Could you move your shed row to the back area behind the house? I’m not crazy about barns being right by the road.

[PsyPsy]

It’s not actually a road…it’s a driveway. The house is on it’s own on a dead end. We were told no setbacks, but I will triple confirm!!

[spook1]

Its doable… I had a small farmette in Central Florida up until 3 years ago. I had 2 acres and really it was perfect for my one person operation. I had a 2 stall barn, small shed as a feed/hay room, a sacrifice paddock and a bigger grass one as well as a 50x110 riding area and two horses and a goat. My horses stayed in the smaller area most of the time and were out on grass about 3 days a week for few hours. This was the only way to keep grass and not turn it into a dry lot. This worked great for me for almost 12 years…til the divorce. Now I have to board and I had to sell one horse due to the cost of boarding. I can tell you hands down even with feeding hay all year it’s is WAY cheaper then boarding. Yes planning a vacation can be a PIA but I miss my guy being at home. As for manure management I cleaned the sacrifice paddock every 3 days or so ( they had free access to stalls if they wanted and never poo’d in them unless locked in) and had a manure pile in the far corner of the property. I would adverse free manure and a 3 month pile would be gone with in a week. Since I was only one doing the work it was the right size for me and the pleasure of being able to ride when I wanted and not have to drive 45 min is awesome to say the least. I am currently looking for a 2-3 acre place as I post this…lol

[She_s_Pure_Gold]

It could be doable, but my concern for you would be the access to the facilities, as others have mentioned. Even if the BM/BO/trainer right now says sure, come ride for free anytime, I can only imagine that after a while, boarders would wonder why they are paying $$$ for access to the facilities and you don’t pay anything and start to complain. It would be wear and tear on the facilities without any benefit to the barn for allowing you to use them. JMO- if that is your only option to ride, I don’t think I would do it as it just doesn’t seem sustainable for the long run. BOs/BMs/trainers change, move, quit, etc. Would you still want this place if you ever weren’t able to use the boarding barn’s facilities anymore? Would you be able to set up your own riding area?

[Minxitbabe]

Sounds perfect! I would do it yesterday! If you don’t plan on having more than one equine and your gelding could be happy by himself go for it. Though a small equine companion wouldn’t be that much more work… Manure management will be the greatest challenge but with a good plan/routine it would be totally doable. Start the paperwork!!!

[normandy_shores]

I knew of a place that had 3 horses on 1.25 acres with her house in South Florida, including a ring. The key was stalls and having smaller areas fenced and connected so you could close off certain areas.

Her ring was all weather, but in good weather she also rode in the grass paddock for more space to jump.

[js]

Its doable, plenty of small acreage farms out there. In FL it will be easier to have a bit of grass turnout as it grows year round. Don’t short change yourself on costs, there are a lot of hidden costs to starting up a farm, however small. Just make sure hubby is truly onboard with the idea, on days you are unable to feed/clean he will be the one that needs to step on so he needs to be willing and able. Again, be sure you are willing to accept that the boarding barn behind you might nix your idea of using their facilities, now or in the future. There is always the potential to finding yourself without an arena to ride in and you’ll have to manage with what you have at home.

[PsyPsy]

You guys are so wonderful, thank you for the many considerations. It sounds like my biggest concern is the next door neighbors and relying on them for their arena. Even though they’ve offered, I would never take advantage of them. Whether they like it or not, they’d find themselves about $50 richer each month :lol:. The covered arena was just constructed and completed a month ago, so the are actively putting in improvements to their property.

I have a lot to think about, but it sounds like I’ve addressed one of my concerns: Mr. Horse would be happy and content there. I have been looking into a goat buddy for him, though!

[Texarkana]

One convenient perk of being next to the boarding barn is that it will make it A LOT easier to get horse service professionals out to your place-- vets, farriers, etc.

In some areas, having a small number of horses can deter people from wanting to do farm calls for you. But if you stay on schedule with the boarding barn, it should not be an issue. From the description of your situation, you could probably even just walk your horse(s) over…

Of course, you’ll still need to be present, which can be tricky if you have a full time 9-5 job.

[DakotaTA]

Are you in Ocala? Take a drive by 2 Meadow Wood Drive in Meadow Wood Farms. The house is on about 2 acres. They had one horse on the property in an area of about an acre and it’s down to bare dirt in about a year. You’re being optimistic that you will have any grass left at all. It’s amazing how much grass one horse can put away. I’m paying $7.50 a bale for coastal hay and it will only go up now that minimum wage has been increased. Orchard/timothy is about $14 a bale and alfalfa is out of sight.

Spook, there’s a house at 16 Meadow Wood on 3 acres with a small barn for $216K. I don’t know how much you’re looking to spend, but it’s been on the market several months and is owned by a corporation. It desperately needs updating inside, but they’re putting a new roof on it currently. I don’t have any interest in this, just an FYI. I live in Meadow Wood Farms myself and pass it about every day. I’ve seen 3 acres with a doublewide in Ocala for not much less.

[spook1]

@DakotaTA

Are you in Ocala? Take a drive by 2 Meadow Wood Drive in Meadow Wood Farms. The house is on about 2 acres. They had one horse on the property in an area of about an acre and it’s down to bare dirt in about a year. You’re being optimistic that you will have any grass left at all. It’s amazing how much grass one horse can put away. I’m paying $7.50 a bale for coastal hay and it will only go up now that minimum wage has been increased. Orchard/timothy is about $14 a bale and alfalfa is out of sight.

Spook, there’s a house at 16 Meadow Wood on 3 acres with a small barn for $216K. I don’t know how much you’re looking to spend, but it’s been on the market several months and is owned by a corporation. It desperately needs updating inside, but they’re putting a new roof on it currently. I don’t have any interest in this, just an FYI. I live in Meadow Wood Farms myself and pass it about every day. I’ve seen 3 acres with a doublewide in Ocala for not much less.

Hi Dakota!
I seen that on a real estate site!!! But I need to be in a different part of Ocala… Thank you so much!!

[PsyPsy]

@DakotaTA

Are you in Ocala? Take a drive by 2 Meadow Wood Drive in Meadow Wood Farms. The house is on about 2 acres. They had one horse on the property in an area of about an acre and it’s down to bare dirt in about a year. You’re being optimistic that you will have any grass left at all. It’s amazing how much grass one horse can put away. I’m paying $7.50 a bale for coastal hay and it will only go up now that minimum wage has been increased. Orchard/timothy is about $14 a bale and alfalfa .

I’m not in Ocala. I’m on the east coast of Florida, south of Orlando, close to Cocoa.

He would not be turned out on the grass 24/7. Surely that played a role in the deterioration of the grass. But my budget includes 24/7/365 hay. I think that’s why board is so darn high around here - not enough land to sustain grazing. I’d love to be in Ocala!

[Dressagelvr]

Horses are herd animals and do not do well alone. This stress will show up in many ways, and could include colic.

This is simply too small a property. It isn’t horse friendly. Sure, you can keep 100 horses on 13 acres, but you can’t do it in a way that is best for horses.

OP, wait for a larger property. Or better yet, keep boarding. You’ll save yourself money in the long run.

[Bluey]

@Dressagelvr

Horses are herd animals and do not do well alone. This stress will show up in many ways, and could include colic.

This is simply too small a property. It isn’t horse friendly. Sure, you can keep 100 horses on 13 acres, but you can’t do it in a way that is best for horses.

OP, wait for a larger property. Or better yet, keep boarding. You’ll save yourself money in the long run.

Horses, like humans, come in all kinds.

Some do fine alone, others can take or leave company, others need company to be happy.

As long as someone knows what is best for their horse, whatever kind of management suits THAT horse is fine.

Insisting that one size fits all may just end with some unhappy, if humans or horses.

[melula]

@PsyPsy

You guys are so wonderful, thank you for the many considerations. It sounds like my biggest concern is the next door neighbors and relying on them for their arena. Even though they’ve offered, I would never take advantage of them. Whether they like it or not, they’d find themselves about $50 richer each month :lol:. The covered arena was just constructed and completed a month ago, so the are actively putting in improvements to their property.

I have a lot to think about, but it sounds like I’ve addressed one of my concerns: Mr. Horse would be happy and content there. I have been looking into a goat buddy for him, though!

Day use for a facility is generally $25-75 per ride and there is a haul in fee for folks taking lessons. Not sure how I’d feel about the neighbors popping in to ride at my place. Unless it was a really special situation, I’d charge at least 200/month for facility use. If I were you, I’d draw up a facility use contract with the neighboring barn that describes expectations.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Buy it. Get a 2nd horse or board a friend’s horse. You will have to buy hay and feed, not enough grass for rotational grazing but living with your horse and right by that barn is worth it. Just don’t plan on saving any money but do plan on enjoying your horse 24/7

[candyappy]

@Dressagelvr

Horses are herd animals and do not do well alone. This stress will show up in many ways, and could include colic.

This is simply too small a property. It isn’t horse friendly. Sure, you can keep 100 horses on 13 acres, but you can’t do it in a way that is best for horses.

This may be your experience/ preference, but certainly is not a one size fits all when relating to horses.

I boarded for 13 years where the horses lived in a 12x24 stall paddock situation 24/7. Is it my ideal? No, but it was what we had in my location. They were healthy and happy and never a colic.

The OP is looking at a small property that is certainly capable of housing a horse ( and possibly a goat companion --or two) comfortably.

Not everyone desires acres of land to maintain and pay high taxes on.