Are you thinking of buying that perfect piece of property to build your dream home on and board your horses on the property too?  A property that not only has gentle terrain but also a great view.

Then read this short message before you go out looking for land to purchase.  

If you are thinking of building a house and possibly a barn and have horses live on the property also, then you have a lot to think about before you begin your initial search for land.

The first most important question is, how many horses are you going to have on this property. The rule of thumb is, one horse per two acres. That is two acres of pasture land, not total land including your house. Horses eat all day and that can cause you to run out of grass to feed them fast.

The other thing to consider when thinking of horse property is, the availability drinking water for the animals. Are you going to be on private well or city water?  This is very important, because if you are on city water your cost to maintain the land will be considerably more expensive. Horses require large amounts of drinking water that is easily accessible to them. The land also requires large amounts of water to keep the grass growing. When you are talking acreage you are talking about a lot of water to irrigate the land, and if you are on city water you are going to receive very large water bills.

The other thing to consider is the terrain of the land. Houses can be built on rolling and even steep terrain, but horses need gentle, level or rolling terrain to stay safe and healthy. Putting horses on pasture that has little or no level ground is very hard on the horses legs. It can also cause health issues for the animal. To understand what I am talking about, try standing on a house roof or steep piece of property for a few hours. You will quickly find out what I mean. It will hurt not only your legs, but your back and affect your mental attitude if remain on this type of incline for an extended period of time. Too many people put their animals on steep terrain, first because they have no other choice, or second because they do not know better or just do not care.

Another consideration when selecting a location to build a house and barn is access to riding trails. Trailering a horse to another location can become a huge inconvenience in a short time. Try and look for property that is close to other large tracts of land, such as state owned property, or large farms. With the proper permission you will have access to land to ride on. It would be even better to find land that is close to National Forest Service property that has designated trails that are easily accessible.

One other thing to consider is local ordinances. Make sure that the property you are thinking of buying is zoned to allow the boarding of horses on the land. In Western North Carolina that is not usually a concern, but it can be if you are living in an area close to a large town or city.

It is a blessing, and a large monetary savings, to be able to have your horses live on the same property that you live on. So take your time and search for a property that will meet some if not all of these above mentioned requirements. It will make your life and your horses lives much more enjoyable.

Roger Mascali, specializes in the sale of horse property in Western North Carolina and North East Georgia. If you have any questions or you would like more information about finding horse property in these areas, please visit my web page at http://www.MtnPropertySales.com. or contact him at 828-557-9206 or MtnPropertySales@brmemc.net