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1. Find an Experienced Equestrian Broker

Equestrian farms are not cookie cu�er houses, and they are all unique and have different ameni�es to suit different disciplines, such as rings, foo�ng, fencing, etc. I always have to laugh when I get a call from another Realtor on one of our horse farm listings and their first ques�on is what is a “stall” and what is an “eqween”. Although its funny, it is also very sad because I know they have no clue what they are doing and it’s a disservice to their buyer. Find a knowledgeable equestrian realtor that is full �me, dedicated to the real estate profession and commi�ed to doing their job in a serious manner. I see so many mistakes made when riders decide to get a real estate license just to collect a commission when their friends want to buy a horse property. Your farm purchase will be one of the largest and most important decisions of your life�me and you need to make sure it is the correct fit for you and a good investment.

2. Loca�on, Loca�on, Loca�on

Do you need to be near a horse show, veterinary facility, trails, racetrack, park? How will your loca�on resell if you ever decided to change your ownership? In Wellington Florida, farms are priced like ocean front proper�es when they are a 2-minute hack to the show grounds and as they get further from the show and the hack is longer, the land goes down in price. Building costs are the same, but safety and convenience to the show grounds is priority. In other states like Kentucky, emphasis is put on pasture quality, and in Maryland trails and fox hun�ng might be important, so each state will have its own unique quali�es and you will have your list of what’s important to you. Make sure if you ever have an emergency that you have a feed store, veterinarian, and a fire department nearby.

3. Stables, Rings and Fencing

Every discipline has different needs. A Grand Prix rider needs a 200’ X 200’ ring where a dressage rider might only need a 70’ by 200’ ring. Race horses need a training track and polo players want a lot of turnout for their ponies. Carefully consider what you need and make yourself a list before talking with a realtor so you don’t waste weeks looking at farms that don’t meet your needs. Narrow down the size of your ring, do you need a covered arena, what type of fencing do you prefer, does the farm need to have housing, do you want an alterna�ve water supply, how many stalls do you want, do you need a center aisle barn in case of a hurricane or for cold weather. In many cases they can weed out proper�es ahead of �me that either won’t allow as many stalls as you need or don’t have the right layout to fit your ring. They can check the zoning to see if you are allowed a commercial barn to teach lessons or have a covered arena.