There are many factors to consider and decide on before you begin your search for your horse property Number of acres, type of house, barn, fencing, gates, grass, pasture management, location and more Let’s look at a few of these factors
Land
When looking at land certain characters should be considered such as:
- Well-draining soil, so important for good feet. We all know feet in constant wet conditions will possibly create feet issues such as mold and fungus, which then turns into thrush
- Softer ground, as hard ground is harder on your horse, avoid rocky ground unless you are willing to clean up the property and make it what you need it to be
- Wet with standing water – look for water plants its your first sign that even though you don’t see water, water stands there
- Good soil for a healthy pasture full of grass
- Are there a lot of plants and trees on the property that are toxic to horses
- With a smaller pasture water spigots would be nice for easy watering and filling water buckets. Hauling buckets of water to a horse trough will get old quickly. We didn’t have them when we moved in but installed them later, so this too is an option
Everything else about the property can be changed, but the land is there to stay and needs to meet you and your horse’s needs.
A Barn
There are many types of barns or enclosures to get your horse out of the weather.
Whether it is a Run-In Shed, Shed Row, Enclosed Barn, or a Pole Barn, it needs to be in good shape and checked for:
- Stalls of at least 12x12 in size
- No sharp points, damage, floor condition, leaking roofs
- Plumbing to keep fresh water on hand, clean out cuts, hose down sore legs and etc.
- Good size tack room, with Texas humidity you might want to invest in a dehumidifier to keep mold off your tack
- Feed Room, preferably with a door to keep the vermin out, I have a smaller barn, so it is in my tack room
- Hay loft – there is a lot of controversy about having hay on the ground or in a hay loft. My hay is in a hay loft as I had a friend with one on the ground and she advised me to make sure mine was up high and another friend’s is also on the ground and my hay stays greener longer. Why is the question, just something to research and decide what is the best fit for you
- Location of the barn differs for different people. Some like their barn closer to the house so they can hear if issues arise, easier feeding and can stay out of the rain if you have a covered walkway, while others like the barn away from the house. Decide which one is best suited to your needs
Fencing
An important part of your new property is the fencing with gates wide enough for your horse and your equipment
The fencing is what keeps our horses safe and where we want them. Any weak areas and they will find them.
When looking at a property have time to thoroughly look at the all the aspects of a property making a list of all the repairs that will be required when deciding on what your first offer will be
Storage
If you have a lot of equipment and your barn doesn’t have a place to store it out of the weather a storage building or a bonus area is a plus
If you have a Run-In Barn you will need a storage area for your hay, tack and feed
Arena
Do you need an arena?
If one isn’t there remember you can always make one but in doing so you need to add to your acreage needs for the size of arena you are imagining
Pasture Management Needs
In my own horse property, I have learned to be able to keep grass, two acres per horse is best
If you are leaving them out all day and night this number might need to be increased as they do not stop eating and your grass will be gone before long. Or have an area that is your “I don’t care section” and let the other areas rest during the night
Having enough room to create different pasture areas to rotate them and give the grass time to rest, repair and grow is imperative. Not to mention keeping worm issues at bay
Trails
When looking for a property consider also where are you going to ride
Are there trails close by, will you trailer to nearby trails or arenas
There are some communities that have built in trails in the community or back national forest that might better suit your needs
Location
We all want the perfect horse property and sometimes forget that location is a big factor to our decision Believe me I get it, when we were looking for a property, I wanted to see the barn first. We get one sided and forget our daily needs when our emotions get us all excited
You need to consider:
- How far you are willing to drive to work. The longer the commute the more time away and the shorter time in the saddle
- If you are an active trail rider, where are the nearest trails
- Is the property to close to a busy road
First decide on what length of a commute you are willing to do, then start searching for properties within in that radius. This will keep you from looking at properties that is going to stretch you and stress you out once you a living there
Deed Restrictions
There are some amazing communities for us horse owner and with some of those comes deed restrictions
Read over the deed restriction as some limit:
- Number of horses per acre
- No chickens
- No pigs and other animals
- Building set back lines if you are putting in a barn or storage area
- Having to get your plans approved with the HOA’s architectural committee and more
So, make sure you read the deed restrictions and that they line up with how you are going to use your property, allow the number of horses you have or want and allows the other animals you might be bring
FFA animals are normally allowed within such communities but again make sure that is what the deed restrictions state
If you have questions call the HOA representative and get them answered during your option period or before you put in a offer. My suggestion is to follow up with an email to this representative to ensure you have a paper trail just in case
It is hard to find the PERFECT property. Sometimes either the there is no barn, and the house is great, the house needs updating but the barn is perfect or the acreages is smaller than you wanted
Your budget will direct your path overall but remember, as long as the land is what you need, and you are willing to update a house or build a barn you can still get what you want, it may just take a bit longer
Just a thought if you are thinking about building, consider the total cost and how long you are going to live there. Look at other properties currently on the market to see if you are out pricing the market and would loose a lot of money if you had to sell for some unseen reason
List out what is most important you, be open to other options and be willing to wait for the property that you will fall in love with and has what you need
There is nothing worse to get into a home and regret it
