Why A Name Matters: A Guide To Properly Naming Your Equine Facility
- Tori Goldsworthy
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Naming a property accurately is crucial for conveying its purpose and appeal. Here’s a guide to deciding suitable names for properties based on their features and scale:
1. Stable
Suitable for: Properties primarily designed for housing and caring for horses, typically with individual stalls, tack rooms, and grooming areas. Typically, stables will be more on the private side, smaller scale (10-15 acres), or what could be described as more of a residential type setting. Stables may be surrounded by a local park, or even in a rural neighborhood. They may offer lessons, and boarding.
Example Name: “Sunnydale Stables”
Why It Fits: The focus is on horse care and housing without extensive additional facilities such as world class events or large capacities of people needing to be housed like you would see at a world show at the equestrian center in Ocala, Florida that can house hundreds of competitors.
2. Equestrian Center
Suitable for: Larger commercial sized properties with comprehensive facilities for training, riding, hosting events and housing competitors. These typically have indoor and outdoor arenas, multiple stables, show barns, camping, trailer storage for visitors and additional amenities. Typically, Equestrian Centers will generally have over 50 acres of land, but some well organized Equestrian centers in rural communities can be on the smaller side with 20-25+ acres.
Example Name: “Riverside Equestrian Center”
Why It Fits: Implies a wide range of services and facilities catering to serious equestrians and large-scale events that can either host or be rented by associations or other large scale events pertaining to horse activities.
3. Ranch
Suitable for: Large properties used for raising livestock, including horses, with extensive pastures and livestock handling facilities. Ranches may be used for pasture breeding programs, or other large scale operations where horses or livestock may need over 50+ acres of pasture room.
Example Name: “Blue Sky Ranch”
Why It Fits: Suggests a broad, open space focused on livestock management, which may include breeding and training horses.
4. Farm
Suitable for: Properties engaged in agricultural activities, including crops and livestock, which may also house horses.
Example Name: “Maple Grove Farm”
Why It Fits: Indicates a versatile property combining farming and horse care, suitable for a variety of agricultural pursuits. Many people who are not solely focused on housing horses may include “farm” in their name to show they may offer other resources such as produce, or farm raised meats and eggs. They may also have horses. Farms can vary in size from 5-500+ acres, there is really no going wrong here.
5. Farmette
Suitable for: Smaller properties (typically 5–10 acres) used for hobby farming and small-scale horse care.
Example Name: “Whispering Pines Farmette”
Why It Fits: Conveys a quaint, manageable size ideal for hobbyists or those starting out in farming and horse care they may or may not be open to the public and may house horses privately for private use or house an allowable amount of private boarders.
6. Arena
Suitable for: Specific areas dedicated to riding, training, and competition, usually as part of a larger property. Many Arenas may be of similar capacity as an equestrian center and may house
visitors, host or rent their facilities for shows and more.
Example Name: “Green Valley Arena”
Why It Fits: Focuses on the riding and training aspect, suitable for properties with specialized riding facilities or entertainment purposes.
Naming Considerations Based on Property Size and Facilities
Small Properties (1-10 acres)
Not Suitable: Equestrian Center/Arena/Ranch
Suitable Names: Farmette, Stable, Farm
Example: “Cedarwood Farmette” – Ideal for small-scale, hobby farming and horse care.
Medium Properties (15-25 acres)
Not Suitable: Equestrian Center/Arena/Ranch
Suitable Names: Farm, Stable
Example: “Sunnybrook Farm” – Combines agricultural activities with horse care.
Large Properties (50+ acres)
Not Suitable: Farmette, Stables,
Suitable Names: Ranch, Equestrian Center, Farm, Arena
Example: “Golden Meadows Ranch” – Suggests extensive pastures and a focus on large-scale livestock management.
Practical Examples
A 5-acre property with a few stalls and a small riding area might be best named something like “Redwood Stables” rather than “Redwood Equestrian Center.”
A 20-acre property with multiple pastures, a barn, and crop fields could be called “Green Acres Stables” instead of “Green Acres Ranch.”
A 100-acre property with extensive facilities for events, multiple arenas, and comprehensive horse care services is well-suited to a name like “Hilltop Equestrian Center.”
Why Naming Matters
Accurate Representation: The name should accurately reflect the property’s facilities and scale, ensuring prospective buyers or clients have the right expectations.
Marketing Appeal: A suitable name enhances the marketability of the property, attracting the right audience.
Legal and Practical Considerations: Certain terms might imply regulatory standards or specific features, so choosing the right name avoids misleading others.
By aligning the property name with its features and intended use, you ensure clarity, appeal, and suitability in the market. These guidelines may not be an exact match with the set up of your facility and your acreage, but it gives a good guideline of how to start and what to look for.
Tori Goldsworthy
Equestrian Property Specialist | Photographer | Blogger
Tori Goldsworthy has dedicated her life to serving the equestrian community. Based in Central Wisconsin, she is the state’s first Certified Equestrian Property Specialist, combining her educational background in Equine Science and Business Management with years of hands-on experience in the horse industry. Her passion extends beyond real estate—Tori is also the owner of Goldsworthy Equine Photography, where she captures the bond between horses and their humans. She runs a free educational blog, helping farm owners navigate the challenges of horse property ownership.
With a deep understanding of equestrian needs, Tori brings expertise, compassion, and a lifelong love of horses to everything she does.
This article is from the April issue of Equine Business Magazine
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