You may have owned several horse properties or this might be your first trip to the rodeo, no matter what, having a checklist of things to check out will be helpful to analyze your options.
Property surrounds -
- is the property fenced? if so will the fence work for you? is it high enough? is it in good repair? does it have barbed wire or other dangerous things that might need to be removed?
- what are the neighbors like? if there are groves and/or row crops are they down-wind do they spray pesticides?
- are you near a landfill or dump, even several miles away on a hot day with the right wind, this can be very smelly and unpleasant.
The land itself -
- walk the property - are there holes in the ground that could be dangerous to your horse?
- trees or other items that might need to be removed or moved? what does your county require if you want to remove a tree? permit? replant an equal oxygen provider?
- is the property next to water such as a canal or lake? Will you have to have extra fencing/protection to make sure a friendly gator or snake doesn't bother you or your animals?
- did they ever have a sand ring or arena even if not visible at the moment? If so, this might help cut costs when you want to build yours if you use the same location and size.
- are there already pastures? what kind of grass is there? does it have weeds? will this grass work for your horses?
- is there a natural water supply such as a stream, lake, pond, etc. for the horses. This is especially important in event of a hurricane
- how is the soil? Rocky, coral rock, sandy, etc.? How will this impact fencing, etc?
Constructed items -
- are there barns or other structures on the building? are they in good repair? did they need a permit? did they have one?
- are there wells on the property? how deep do they go? do they need permits and if so did they have them? are the pumps still there? In working order?
- is there water and or electric to areas that you might want it later (ie lighting and sprinkler for an arena or ring)?
- are the structures (home, barn, etc.) set on the property to allow for maximum use of the land for pastures, rings, paddocks, etc? How about visibility? Will you be able to see your horses from most areas, how important to you is this?
- does the drive allow for easy access, loading and turning of a horse trailer? circular is often best, but if not, what are the options?
- are doors and walls in the barn safe and secure for your horses? Stalls large enough? height of ceilings high enough for horse? what about ceiling fan heights?
- what is the floor or the barn and stalls constructed of? Will this work for you? if rubber mats are in the stalls, do they stay?
- is the tack room air conditioned to keep your tack free of mildew?
In case of hurricanes -
- does the property have a generator? will it serve house and barn?
- does the property flood? if so, how quickly does it drain? visit it directly after a big rain.... if it floods, is there high ground for the horses to go to?
- how is the maintenance of the trees? will it require major trimming prior to a big hurricane?
- how does the barn look? it is hurricane built or will you need to take other arrangements for your horses?
Natural dangers and pests -
- is the area known for natural predators or nuisances such as dogs and snakes? what can you do to protect your animals from them?
- is the area know for natural plants that can be toxic to your animals? will you be able to clean that out and keep it out?
- if you are near wetlands, will you have a mosquito problem in the rainy season? many areas in FL look beautiful in Winter but are miserable in summer, check this out before purchasing.
Permits/zoning, etc. -
- how many horses are you allowed per acre? will this work for you?
- what is the restriction on building a barn or other structure? How far must it be from neighboring homes? are there other restrictions? will you need a permit?
- what about manure control?
- is the property zoned agricultural? would you qualify for an agricultural tax exemption? does it have one now?
For help finding or analyzing any horse property in South Florida, contact us today, your horse property experts!
Janie Coffey
Owner/Broker, GRI, TRC, QSC
cell: 786-252-4970
email: janie@papillonllc.com
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Janie.... Wow, this was very interesting. A person that doesn't know much about horses and stables could learn a lot from this. I even lived in Louisville, Ky for 5 years and even got to visit the stables there first hand at Churchill Downs because of my friends dad was a Vet.... thanks for sharing this. Very well done and interesting.