Equestrian Land for Sale
After building or investment land, our next ‘best-seller’ is land for
horses or similar animal husbandry. Below is our guide to buying equestrian land
for sale.
Location
Location is probably the most important consideration, unless you are prepared
to move or relocate. Most buyers will normally only consider land for sale that
is within a 10 mile radius of their home - or the equivalent of a 15 minute car
journey - in an emergency getting to the land in good time can be crucial.
Size or acreage
Acreage is important but varies with different kinds of animals. Field
kept horses, for example, require a one minimum of an acre per horse. In certain
areas, such as the Chilterns, the recommended minimum is two acres per horse because
of the condition of the grassland and ground.
Other animals, such as sheep or goats, can survive on most smaller acreage e.g.
6 to 10 sheep per acre. Free range chickens have a smaller requirement still.
Access
Access is another important issue for people with animal and is often overlooked
in the first instance. For example, could you get a 4x4 vehicle and a trailer onto
the land? An ideal situation is a gated access from a maintained highway with hard
standing through and around the access point.
Fencing
A good sound stock-proofed is an essential item for grazing animals. A
strong hedge is not necessarily sufficient to keep a pesky pony in a field in the
winter. And these days, if an animal escapes and causes an accident, the owner can
potentially be liable.
Putting new fencing around land is expensive and when looking at land that is not
stock-proofed, it is advisable to get quotes to cover the cost of the work. Fencing
a couple of acres with good post and rail or equivalent, could be over £5,000.
Water
Animals like humans require water. Horses, for example, drink several gallons of
water a day, which is a lot to carry if your land doesn’t have water via the
mains.
Shelter
In the winter months, all animals do better if they are in a more sheltered environment.
They basically require less feed, that costs the owner less money. Therefore, another
key consideration when looking at land is how sheltered it is.
Rent
Grazing land can be rented out at around £500 to £1000 per acre which
means you can earn while you invest.
Call our equestrian land department today - 0845 123 6424.
