Whether you are planning to build on your existing property or are looking to purchase a new property on which to construct your dream facility, acreage and location are key.

The number of horses you plan on keeping on the property and the size of your planned barn will largely determine how much land you will require for your entire facility. Letโ€™s say you decide on a six-stall barn with no arena. It will measure approximately 50โ€™ x 30โ€™ and would require at least three parking spots, a driveway with a turnaround, manure storage, and at least two paddocks. The square footage of the barn would be 1,500, with 4,500 sq.ft. for the driveways and parking, 3,500 sq.ft for the manure area and turnaround, and 261,360 sq.ft. for the paddocks (a minimum of one acre per horse is recommended for a sustainable pasture). This gives you a required area of about 6.2 acres on which to build.

Building a 20-stall barn (40โ€™ x 180โ€™) and 100โ€™ x 200โ€™ arena would of course require much more space. Adding a 150โ€™ x 250โ€™ outdoor sand ring brings the total to almost an acre. Youโ€™ll have to add extra space for parking, driveways, hay storage, and at least 20 acres of paddocks. At this point youโ€™ve reached a requirement of at least 30 acres of cleared land to build your equestrian facility.

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