StableWise - Horse Farm Planning

From one acre to one hundred acres, every site is unique in its qualities and purpose. Whether you are a single person with a single horse or a breeder with a herd of breeding stock, a casual trail rider or a multi-discipline equestrian center manager, you will likely have questions about how to build or remodel your farm to best suit the individual needs of your horse or horses, your clients, your service providers, and yourself.

It is important to begin with the end in mind. Where to put the buildings, how to prioritize the improvements to meet your budget and schedule goals, what the look of the facility will be, etc., are all obviously important factors. None of them, however, can be truly decided upon without first knowing what it is you want to end up with. This requires a fair bit of soul searching. For example...

"Do I always want to have just one or two horses, or is there a possibility that somewhere down the line I may want to take in a couple of borders?" One way of approaching this is to ask yourself - Am I adventurous, or fairly conservative? Do I value my privacy, or do I enjoy the social aspect boarding can bring? Are the risks worth the rewards? Do I someday want to try to profit from all the hard work of horsekeeping, or am I really just looking to enjoy my horse and my time? These questions may seem unimportant now, but the more time you think about all the possibilities, the less likely you will be wishing you had done it differently.

There is a lot to consider when planning a horse farm. The difference between one that works and one that does not is the many small details that are easy to miss when faced with the overwhelming amount of decisions you will need to make.

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StableWise helps you find answers to these and hundreds of other questions that come up in the process of developing your horse farm.

Click here for StableWise Recommended Resources

The Ultimate Horse Book

The Horse Companion : A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Horses, Including All You Need to Know About Riding Skills, Equipment, Healthcare and Grooming

Considering the Horse : Tales of Problems Solved and Lessons Learned