Why Accessibility is Crucial for Your Horse Property (My Number One Talking Point)
When it comes to horse properties, accessibility and functionality are key. As an Equestrian Property Specialist (EPS), I know that a well-designed horse property isn’t just about aesthetics or size—it’s about how efficiently the property operates. From daily chores to long-term maintenance, accessibility can make all the difference. Let’s explore why this aspect is vital and what you should look for in an equestrian property to ensure safety, efficiency, and financial viability.
The Importance of Accessibility: Accessibility in a horse property means more than just having wide aisles and easy-to-reach gates. It’s about the entire layout and how it supports the day-to-day tasks that keep your horses healthy and happy. When a property is well-designed, everything flows smoothly, chores are easier to manage, and both you and your animals stay safe.
Functional Layout and Flow: A property with a functional layout reduces the time and effort needed to complete daily tasks. Think about the placement of your barn, tack, arena, hay storage, and water sources. When these are strategically located, you save time and energy. For instance, if hay storage is too far from the stalls, you’ll spend unnecessary time and effort transporting forage. Similarly, if water sources are not conveniently placed, you might end up hauling heavy water tankers to pastures, which is both labor-intensive and time-consuming, and I have seen it done all too often.
Safety for Animals and Caretakers: Safety is paramount on any horse property. Wide aisles that can accommodate heavy machinery, such as tractors or arena drags, are essential. These wide spaces ensure that animals are moved safely without risk of injury, and heavy equipment can be used without difficulty.
Essential Features to Consider:
1. Automatic Waterers: Ensure your horses always have access to fresh water and reduce the labor needed to manually fill troughs, scrub them, replace them and keep them from freezing.
2. Sacrifice Lots: These designated areas can help manage grazing and protect pastures from overuse, keeping your horses healthy and your land sustainable. Not only that, but it sure looks nice too when you have a bunch of grassy pastures rather than muddy ones.
3. Wide Aisles: Facilitate the safe and efficient movement of heavy machinery, as well as allowing horses to have ample room to move or pass other horses safely.
4. Proximity of Key Areas: Hay storage, tack rooms, and pastures should be conveniently located to minimize the distance and effort required for daily chores.
Financial Viability: A property designed with accessibility in mind not only saves time and labor but also helps in maintaining a positive cash flow. Inefficient property layouts can lead to longer chore times, meaning higher labor costs. If your facility requires extensive labor hours just for basic upkeep, it can strain your finances, especially if the number of horses doesn’t generate enough revenue to cover these costs.
Personal Experience and Expertise: Having worked in various barns, I’ve seen firsthand the difference a well-designed facility can make. In barns where chores took five hours or more, inefficiencies were common, leading to high labor costs and frustrated employees. Conversely, barns with functional layouts designed with accessibility in mind often had chores completed in an hour or two, thanks to smart planning and design.
As an EPS, I bring this expertise to every property I evaluate. I don’t just see a horse property; I see it from your perspective. I assess how the property functions, how you or your employees will manage daily tasks, and how these factors contribute to overall financial health.
I have personally owned properties with poor functionality, and when you’ve done it once, you make sure to never make that mistake twice. I have now decided to build so that I can make my property exactly how I want it. Everyone has different preferences, but I know functionality won’t be something I ever leave out of my plans.
When searching for an equestrian property, accessibility and functionality should be at the top of your list. These factors ensure that chores are manageable, horses are
safe, and your operation is financially viable. As an equestrian property specialist with extensive hands-on experience, I’m here to help you find a property that meets all these criteria and more. Let’s work together to find a property that not only supports your equestrian lifestyle but also sets you up for long-term success.
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 February issue of Equine Business Magazine
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