What makes Lori De Pucci an Equestrian Real Estate Specialist?
Besides being an expert in the residential resale market, Lori has had years of experience marketing and selling horse properties in the North Atlanta area. Whether you are considering buying or selling a horse farm, there are literally hundreds of questions your equestrian real estate agent should be able to answer to guide you appropriately. The following are just a few examples… Local County and City Ordinances?Set back lines for barns and outbuildings vary depending on which County/City the property is located and what the property is zoned. What zoning is needed to keep horses?Usually AG (Agricultural Zoning) for most Counties, but some Residential zoning does allow for horse keeping. How many horses are allowed per acre?Most Counties allow horses on a minimum of 2 acres, with one horse per acre thereafter. Example: a 2 acre property could house 1 horse whereby a 3 acre property could house 3 horses. Pasture management…how much pasture is enough?Most horse owners believe they must own at least 5 acres in pasture to house a horse. The truth is that all horse pastures need to be managed and maintained. A 20 acre pasture with 5 horses on it 24/7 with no maintenance can be ravished in no time. Whereas, if your horses are stabled, a 2 acre pasture that is cross fenced into three areas can support multiple horses for part time grazing as long as the pastures are rested and rotated. Use one small pasture as a ‘sacrifice’ pasture, which means a dry lot with hay supplement that the horses can get out of their stalls and stretch their legs in any kind of weather. Don’t turn the horses out into the nicer grass pastures when the ground is wet after heavy rains. This causes ruts in the ground and ruins the pastures. Also, ponies should not be turned out onto grassy pastures for any length of time as the rich grass causes founder problems. A small, dry lot with minimal grass is ideal for ponies. Fencing:Unfortunately, horses find ways to get themselves hurt easily. Four board fencing is most common and considered the safest. Barbed wire is dangerous to a horse, as is hog wire. Three board fencing is acceptable, however, if you are housing jumpers or stallions, three board may not be sufficient to contain them and you may need a 5’ fence. Pasture Grass:Fescue pastures are most common in our area. It is easily established, tolerates close grazing, survives drought conditions and stands up to heavy traffic. However, if you have pregnant mares they can abort their fetus if they graze on tall fescue. Barn Construction:Concrete block barns are the most expensive, solidly built structures and are usually the safest in terms of fire safety. However, if you have a horse that tends to kick stall walls, this could be a problem, so rubber mats are sometimes installed on the walls to soften the blow. Pole barns are usually wooden frame structures that are built with support beams anchored directly into the ground and do not sit on concrete ‘footers’. Stall floors should not be concrete, but rather compressed earth, or rubber mats with bedding. Ceiling height should have ample clearance as some horses tend to rear up when spooked and can injure themselves if ceilings are too low. It is not good practice to store hay or shavings in the same barn where the horses are housed due to fire hazard. Also, all electrical should be run through critter proof conduit and all electrical outlets should have dust proof covers. The barn interior should be kept cobweb free, as cobwebs are highly flammable. Riding Arenas:How large should the riding arena be for your discipline? Is it graded properly? What footing will work best and keep dust down? What is a round pen used for? Can I build a covered arena? The list goes on and on…But, being a horse lover and enthusiast, Lori enjoys helping others find a way to their shared equestrian passion.
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