A horse community or equestrian community is a planned real estate development or community where people live with their

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s on their property or at a facility within the

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

development, with a shared trails network for

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

. There are usually a number of deeded restrictions that can include specific rules concerning the use of the property, deeded community

horse trail A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding horses, riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now s ...

s, the number of horses allowed per lot, and restrictions on commercial use of the horse trails. Many of these communities are gated and/or guarded, implying wealthy residents, but not all are. These

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

communities sometimes have a centralized

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

with arenas where all of the horses are stalled, but otherwise the horses are kept on the individual property owners' lots. In the United States, these communities are located throughout the country and are diverse in both price and size. These communities appear to be growing in popularity as the availability of riding trails decreases and

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...

increases.

Developments

Equestrian Communities are platted housing developments that include amenities suited for

horse boarding A livery yard, livery stable or boarding stable, is a stable where horse owners pay a weekly or monthly fee to keep their horses. A livery or boarding yard is not usually a riding school and the horses are not normally for hire (unless on worki ...

and riding. Since the mid-1970s, this particular sector of amenity community development has become an increasing trend. This study was designed to take a look at the way these communities are designed; where they are located; how they are managed; and, to whom they are marketed. Designing equestrian communities requires knowledge of how these communities are designed, where the land comes from, why people are buying into them and who those people are. Case study methodology was used to gather data on 22 communities across the US. Data sources included review of the marketing websites belonging to the communities; a literature review; and, interviews conducted with individuals responsible for the design and sales of the communities' lots or the management of the equestrian facilities. Statistics and images of the communities, including plats where available, were compiled into community "cut sheets" which are single-page synopses of each community.Fackrell, L
Equestrian communities: design features and development process.
/ref> Master's thesis.

Equestrian market

The

American Horse Council The American Horse Council (AHC) is a trade organization in Washington, DC representing the horse industry. The organization formed in the late 1960s, and received IRS 501(c) non-profit recognition in 1969, with a committee that became the Coali ...

Federation recently commissioned a study on the horse industry. They have concluded that as much as $102 billion are either directly or indirectly contributed to the American economy with over 2 million horse owners throughout the country. There are horses in every state, even Hawaii, which has an equine population of 8,037. California (698,345 horses), Texas (978,822) and Florida are the three largest populations for horses. Horse properties are in a niche real estate market devoted to serving the interests of horse riders. Horse properties tend to be near horse riding stables or near to good locations for horse riding. Owners benefit from proximity to neighbors with

interests, equestrian facilities such as

tack shop A tack shop is an equestrian supply store. Buyers may purchase various pieces of riding equipment and training aids, as well as boots and riding apparel, stable equipment, horse care products, grooming supplies, horse blankets and sheets, model ...

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

s, and

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adju ...

s, as well as riding trails and tracks.

References

American Horse Council
{{Refimprove, date=February 2008

Developments

Equestrian market

References

See also