Seeking Property to Suit Your Horses?

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the amount of people who are seeking property to house their equine friends. Indeed, the British Equestrian Federation confirms that there are around 4.2 million horse riders and carriage drivers in Britain. That is a whole lot of horses to house. So what should you be looking for when you need property wherein your horses will be at home.  

Business or Pleasure? 

Before you even start looking, you need to decide whether you plan to run any type of business relating to the horses from the property. If you do, this could impact the location and size and make your search harder. For example, if you are intending on running your own stables, you will need somewhere that the public can easily get to you for lessons. Things like how many horses you are planning to stable also affect the properties available to you. A small house with one acre may house a couple of small ponies, but anything upwards of that and you will need to increase the acreage and number of outhouses for storage and stabling. Good pasture and drained land are also prerequisites.  

How Much Work Do You Plan to Take On?  

Are you an avid DIYer who is happy getting their hands dirty? If so, buying a large piece of land and then building your own stables could be an option. You will need to ensure that you would be able to get the relevant planning permissions before committing and make sure that you have a project plan in place to keep things on track. Check things like the availability of electricity and water supplies to areas other than the main house, and bring in qualified people to help you install any extras that you need. If you do not like the idea of that much work and want something already in place, you can purchase anything up to complete and working equestrian centres, which even on occasion come with their very own staff. There is no guarantee, however, that these will be available in an area in which you want to live.  

Research and Get the Right Advice   

There are specialised estate agents who are knowledgeable in the equestrian property area. Make sure that you engage someone who knows and understands what it is that you are looking for. Speak to other people with stables and who are selling mares and stallions if that is what you are looking to do. Other people’s experiences and perspectives are always valuable and may help you to get it right before you move in. Listen to other people’s advice.  

Most of all, enjoy the experience. Sometimes, when we are wrapped up in all of the practicalities, we forget that the search can be a good thing. Learn from it, and you will be able to share your experiences with others in the same boat in the future. It will be appreciated.