Leasing Land for Horses

[rvaitor]

I have tentatively agreed to lease our farm to some folks that have 25 horses. We currently have about 25-30 acres in pasture.

What trips or traps should I be prepared for?

I am in the process of working up a lease.

Thanks in advance.

[Pat]

Not familiar with your situation but isn't that a tad crowded and likely to degrade the acreage?

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[roho627]

Agreed with overcrowded and after a few rainy seasons you'll notice what's happening! But there are a lot to look at! Are the horses going to be stalled, feed & hayed and only let out for exercise or are they going to try to make a living on that 25/30 acres! If horses are there all the time will grass have time to recover!

[rvaitor]

The total acreage is a couple of hundred acres. That is my primary concern is over stressing the pastures.

Some of the acreage which I am not counting was formerly pature but has grown in.

I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference but about half are ponies, and there are four minatures. They have also indicated they buy a lot of hay.

Any other thoughts or ideas.

Thanks

[roho627]

I got a suggestion rvaitor! Go to where the horses live now and check out land condition and hay & feed supply! If these folks buy a lot of hay, they don't buy daily. They buy bulk one way or the other! (sq. bales or round) and have to have a place to store it! Look at condition of animals! I tried to equat 25 horse compared to my 3 and your looking at a pretty big operation if it's done right! Somebody better be working full time! Good luck!

[rvaitor]

She said she buys about $200 worth of hay a week. One of our neighbors has been harvesting hay from our pastures the past few years, for free BTW, and has a fairly good size hay operation for his own use.

They don't board any for hire either. I committed and they are moving in now. Twelve month lease.

Appreciate the thoughts.

There are a # of issues to address.

1. Insurance. You have to make sure they have a million dollar policy at least and you better have the same. As the landowner even though you rent it out you still carry responsibility.

2. Maint. Who takes care of the pastures? Horses are picky eaters in pasture and will leave some areas and graze others to the dirt. Who is going to rotate the pastures, cut the high grass, harrow the fields, overseed the overgraze area, etc. You need all of that in writing.

3. Fences. Who is repsonsible for the fences?

4. Water and electricity. You don't say where you live but if it gets cold you are going to need electricity to keep water from feezing. Who pays the bill? Who takes care of the water situation?

5. Shelter. Horses need some kind of shelter from the elements. If you do have shelter who's responsible for maintaining the buildings?

6. On site management. How often is this person there? What about when the horses get out, and they will. One horse getting hit by a car could ruin you. Somebody should be checking on them at least once/day.

7. Lease. This can break you or save you. Have a good attorney get you a good lease.

8. Who is allowed on the property? Is it allowed to be sub-leased. I got burned bad by this awhile back. Rented out one of our places that had a barn, water, and a 10 acre fenced pasture to a supposed friend. Didn't get a lease or anything because it was supposed to just be his two horses. Well those two horses turned into 20 horses from five different people. He rented it out to other people and nothing I could about it as we'd agreed to a year. I hadn't specified what the place could be used for. It cost me 10 times what I was getting in rent to get adequate insurance to cover the place for boarders. He never did get any kind of insurance.

Best of luck to you. Alot of these situations with horses usually turn bad.

[rvaitor]

Thought I would update those that gave me good advice not to get involved in this situation.

These folks were serial landlord abusers, counting our eviction they made it three inside twelve months. We had animal protection folks calling me with all kinds of stories.

Lesson learned.

If anyone monitoring this list is leasing land in the Charlotte/Hickory, NC area and gets contacted by someone with a bunch of horses looking to lease some land private message me. These folks are WAY over their heads.