Auburn, known as the Endurance Capitol of the World, is hosting the world’s best known and most difficult endurance ride — The Tevis Cup.
Riders from all over the globe come to participate in the one-day, 100-mile event begun by Wendell Robie in 1955.
With all eyes on this equestrian event, I thought I would put the focus of this week’s article on horse property in the foothills.
I can’t think of a better way to talk about horse property than through the voice of local Realtors who specialize in the acquisition and sale of horse property. I admire and respect each one of these cowgirls.
Cynthia Clarkson of Clarkson Real Estate has three words — water, water, water.
“Without water you don’t have horse property,” Clarkson said.
And Clarkson also points out, not all horse properties are created equal.
“The type of riding determines the type of horses and therefore the type of topography that is suitable for horse property,” Clarkson said. “For example, horses ridden for endurance don’t require big flat areas. Many horse owners believe that hilly and rugged property actually keeps their endurance horses in better condition.”
She further explained that dressage (competitive horse training) is probably one of the most disciplined of the equestrian sports. The horses used for dressage need larger, flatter property with plenty of room for an arena.
“The gold in the Sierra foothills is not yellow,” Clarkson said. “It is the experience of riding the most beautiful trails I have ever seen. You can dress up like a cowboy and ride down to the river and just splash around. The experience is very enlightening.”
Making things even sweeter for horse lovers Clarkson said, is the fact that the foothills region offers affordable property for your equine.
“You can actually afford to have your own backyard horse facility. You don’t have to board your horses. You can save $375 to $400 per month per horse,” she said. “Backyard horse facilities help to create priceless relationships with you and your horses. If you and your horse have a bond, when you ask them to excel, they will. They truly become your partner.”
Colleen Conley, a 20-year Realtor with Lyon Real Estate, just returned from a wonderful week’s ride with 50 women.
They rode to Cherry Valley, which is at the bottom of Carson’s Pass. The group is known as the LARKS, or ladies annual riding kaper.
Conley believes that the three most important things to consider when buying horse property are topography, zoning and availability of water.
The topography needs to be suitable for auxiliary buildings such as round pens, arenas, barns, shelters, etc.
The larger the acreage, the less critical useable property becomes. For example, if you have a 40-acre parcel, and 10 acres is all you need for your intended use, the other 30 becomes less important.
I recommend that potential buyers of horse property check the county zoning ordinances. Best case is that a new horse facility will be in a compatible neighborhood. You want to be surrounded with like-minded neighbors who won’t complain about odors and flies.
Water is an essential. You want a high-producing well, irrigation water or both. Gravity flow is the best because you don’t have to pay for the electricity to pump the water.
“I think that you are born with the love of riding horses. The foothill area provides the opportunity to have horses in your own backyard,” Conley said. “I love the relationship that develops between my horse and me — in fact, I call him my mane man.”
Holly Mraz, also a Realtor with Lyon, has been appraising and selling horse property since 1977. She also teaches real estate at Sierra College.
“You can’t start a horse property search without knowing the needs of the horses. It’s like the horse becomes your client,” Mraz said. “You have to know what kind of horses they are and how many there are. Knowing this helps to determine how large the property needs to be.”
And don’t think because you simply have acreage you can have horses, Mraz said. Zoning plays a role in whether or not you can.
“I preview every property before showing it. I look for soil conditions, rocks, usability and erosion potential,” Mraz said. “I want to make sure that there is enough area for dry pasture as well as wet pasture. I check for barns and other out buildings.”
Mraz views Placer, El Dorado and Nevada Counties as prime areas for equestrian real estate, and thinks having access to trails from the property adds value.
I say choosing a horse property with the right amount of water, topography and zoning is a matter of good Home $$$s and Sense.
Happy trails.
Sue Thompson is owner and sales manager of HomeTown Realtors in Auburn.
