Friday, December 5, 2014

American Horse Properties For Sale

By Claudine Hodges


People own horses in every state of the union. This makes finding horse properties for sale extremely easy, although locating exactly the right one might take a while. The term 'horse property' covers a wide variety of estates, farms, and homesteads. It also means different things in different parts of the country. This variety is seen even if searchers are limiting the options by price or type of riding.

For example, people keep several horses on an area little bigger than a city lot in places like Phoenix, Arizona. In desert country, horses are fed hay year-round or need many acres to browse over for self-maintenance. In lush grass country, like Kentucky or along the East Coast, a pasture can be three to ten acres. In Wyoming, it might take up a whole quarter-section.

In states where both space and grass abound, such a home might not be considered a 'horse property'. In Virginia, for example, listings are seldom for less than three acres and often ten or more. Most include a fairly spacious barn, a ring or round pen, and fenced pastures and turn-out paddocks.

Virginia is a big state, and different areas have different real estate descriptions. Northern Virginia equine establishments are usually fairly luxurious, with a high-end home as the center of attention and facilities for horses as an additional attraction. In fact, it may be hard to find a place with less house and more barn, which is usually a more affordable ratio.

However, there is less 'conspicuous consumption' in the southern and western parts of the state. Although there is foxhunting and English riding everywhere, many people in more rural areas prefer trail riding, using Quarter-horses or Arabians rather than large, showy mounts. Establishments may not even have a barn, using run-in sheds to shelter the animals.

Equine magazines often have colorful ads for available farms, both national and international depending on the range of the magazine's readership. The internet, of course, can get searchers in touch with listings in any area of the world. These listings usually include color photographs of house and stabling, both inside and out.

Information is also available on HOA restrictions, zoning laws, liability in each state, and other aspects of property ownership that will guide a choice of place to live. Many states, for instance, designate equine activities as 'inherently dangerous' and limit the property owner's responsibility to prevent injury. Sometimes zoning or HOA rules limit the number of horses allowed on one site or prohibit commercial activities.

Of course, the actual viewing will bring out the pros and the cons. Maybe the place is great but the road in and out is too mountainous, or maybe the barn is designed for ponies or Arabians and won't be comfortable for huge warmbloods or draft crosses. The fields may be too rocky, the water too hard, or the neighbors too close. Then again, everything might be perfect.




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