. The opportunities are endless: remove horse droppings from the road, paint the barn, clean out all rubbish, relocate manure piles away from view, plant grass seed, add flowers, touch up the fencing. ft. or greater. The zoning problem is serious. The local ordinances might require only wood fencing, which might, down the line, affect your plans to install metal or PVC plastic fencing. As we mentioned previously, one of the nuisances of small farms is large mud puddles caused by rain. There is no limit to the number of horses that can be kept in a family lot, as long as they are all owned by the same owner. Cities, villages, and townships have the power to enact regulations that are effective within their territorial bounds, which are known as ordinances. Ordinances that regulate the use of land and buildings involve zoning. By constitutional authority, the goal of zoning and land use ordinances is generally to protect the public s health, safety, and welfare. Unfortunately, the new neighbors do not understand or appreciate the horses residing in the area. How many other animals can I have on my acreage? Features sometimes found in horse-related zoning ordinances can include:* Minimum lot sizes for a family dwelling* The maximum number of horses per acre* The maximum number of buildings per lot* Setback restrictions for fencing and barns (typically specifying the minimum distance that one can place a building, fence, or arena from a property line or street)* Height restrictions affecting structures and fences on the lot* Restrictions on the percentage of a lot that can be covered by buildings or structures* Horse permits (requiring horse owners to complete, sometimes annually, anapplication. The views expressed in this document are solely the views of the author and not Martindale-Hubbell. For each additional horse, they recommend adding another acre to your space. Make all of your neighbors comfortable with your horse facility. While it is true that horses survive and thrive on limited acreage in almost every area of the country, some challenges accompany this approach. This body functions to review special matters and hardship cases, and it has the power to officially recommend that the property owner can deviate from the black-letter language of the ordinance. Twice weekly manure removal is required. Scottsdale does not regulate the number of occupant-owned horses allowed to be kept on single-family residential property. A general rule of thumb states that 1-1/2 to 2 acres of open land per horse is best and that 2 well-managed acres per horse will provide enough pasture. Purpose. However, this is not something that you must simply resign yourself to! Maricopa and Pinal were $698 and $756 per acre respectively. Five Practical Tips for Protecting Horse-Friendly Zoning. Moreover, non-commercial public activities (no admission fee) may be conducted on a Rural-zoned lot, so long as no more than 24 persons are involved. The BHS recommends a ratio of one horse per 0.4-0.6 hectares on permanent grazing ( 1-1.5 acres per horse ). Save this article to your Horse Care board! Before theres too much more confusion, there needs to be some additional clarification; none of the new zoning categories are intended to be implemented until there is a landowner request for a change in a parcels zoning. 163 0 obj <>stream Structures which violate setback or spacing requirements will require variance approval and legal assistance is advised (see discussion of County below). If you are relying on the land as a primary source of nutrition for your horse, you must provide your horse with adequate acreage on which to gauge. While we all dream of having a large farm with hundreds of acres, this is not a reality for many of us. The larger your horse is, the more acreage they will require. What is the property s zoning classification? And Maricopa County does not proactively seek to find violations. Let s assume that the municipality has now drafted a proposed new ordinance or a change to the old one. Again, to be clear, it would not retroactively affect property owners having five or fewer animals per acre unless a zoning change was requested by the property owner. More acreage will allow you to be a bit more lax in your management and rotation of the pasture. As a Commissioner, I helped the local government evaluate new land use ordinances. It would not apply to property with that designation today. You can get more information at pets.maricopa.gov or call 602-506-7387. Water and electric at back of property. Some of the proposed ordinances directly affected horse owners such as the large animal ordinance and ordinances relating to fence types and locations. Educate in a Positive Way Through an Open House or Barn Tour. It is important that you also research local zoning ordinances and regulations in your area to ensure that you are not in violation of city code. I would like to know how many horses per acre are allowed on a SR zoning property of 4.55 acres in Pima County, Arizona? The overwhelming majority of these people have never owned horses. Consider Establishing an Association. The BHS recommends a ratio of one horse per 0.4-0.6 hectares on permanent grazing (1-1.5 acres per horse). Composting will require a bit of additional effort as you must maintain the proper conditions. The proposal to revise this ordinance is an open, public process, and this is clear evidence that the process is working well. This site is owned and operated by Wild Wire Media LLC. The heart of the controversy is this: large animals are presently limited to five per acre of land if the subject property is zoned General Rural. There is no limitation on the number of horses which may be kept on a single-family lot, so long as they are all occupant-owned. For parcels less than 40 acres, the maximum number of animals is one animal unit per four acres. If you are allowed to do so, consider inviting local planning commissioners and community leaders to a friendly, wellorganized open house or community horse barn tour. There are a number of different types of animals allowed and the numbers vary. The A-1, Light Industrial District, is a district of industrial uses designed to serve the needs of the community for industrial activity not offensive to nearby commercial and residential uses. In fact, most equestrians and horse owners keep their horses on much smaller plots of land. A premises upon which a horse is kept is expressly required to be sanitary and is subject to Health Officer inspection. When the public process for revision of the zoning ordinance is complete, the countys new zoning codes will be more tightly focused with more precise descriptions of what uses are permitted in each of those new zoning categories. To learn more alternative ways to exercise your horse, read my article Easy Ways to Exercise a Horse: Step-By-Step Guide With Pictures. Valid for 6 months Equine must have a microchip or 3 photos (Left Side, Right Side, Head picture) documented on EECVI EECVI must be in electronic CVI format. Providing your horse with adequate turnout is just one way you care for their needs. After the variance petition has progressed through that stage, hearings may follow before the planning commission and later before the governing body. How Many Horses Can You Have Per Acre In Maricopa County? Livestock and poultry cases will be investigated in cooperation with the local law enforcement agency. All rights reserved. Hay can basically grass that has been cut and dried for storage. While riding is often the easiest way to ensure your horse is remaining active, there are a variety of other activities you can introduce into your horses routine. Don?t even give them a chance. While riding is often the easiest way to ensure your horse is remaining active, there are a variety of other activities you can introduce into your horses routine. Setback requirements on urban lots 02.04.19 Rules Governing Domestic Cervidae. While we know that horses generally thrive on more land, many horses are healthy and happy on minimal plots of land. In this post, we will take a look at the traditional approach to the carrying capacity of land for horses. Be reasonable with them. With a greater plot of land, you can keep your manure pile far away from the areas of your farm that you frequent daily. "The typical 1,000-pound horse produces almost 40 pounds of manure per day," says Greene. As these people move closer to properties with horses, conflict sometimes results. You might be able to borrow some language to use as an alternative to the unfavorable proposal at issue. No structures should be placed or erected without proper permitting. An occupant may keep occupant-owned horses on any Single-Family-zoned or Rural-zoned lot in unincorporated Maricopa County. When your horse has adequate space to graze and exercise, they will remain happy and healthy long into the future. groups for community government. While these are the traditional guidelines, there are many other factors that you must take into account when determining how much acreage you need for your horse. In some cases, two acres is recommended for the first horse and one additional acre for each additional horse is suggested to prevent over-grazing of pastures. 02.04.20 Rules Governing Brucellosis. In my case, I need chapter 18 (zoning) and specifically 18.21 "CR-1 Zoning". Overstocking is one of the biggest mistakes on the small acreage horse farm. The purpose of the multifamily residence districts is to provide for alternate living styles including rental, condominiums and single ownership of land with multiple units thereon or single or attached townhomes. However, some counties in Georgia do have codes concerning minimum land requirements for keeping horses. However, with each additional horse, one additional acre is recommended. If your land is less fertile or not as high of quality, you may need to account for additional acreage to support your horses. For a typical household, that means the well should produce a minimum of one-half gallon per minute (0.5 gpm) or 30 gallons per hour to be acceptable as a water supply. Will your horse be using the land as a primary source of nutrition or is it simply supplemental? To my surprise, my local government appointed me to serve on its planning commission. Many residential properties have "horse privileges" under County and City zoning ordinances, subject to certain restrictions. In planning the event, of course, you will hand-pick presentable facilities, invite all members of the planning commission, local government, and others and tour the guests through the facilities. Every community has several. Do I need a permit to pour a concrete slab in Maricopa County? February is American Heart Month: Is your ticker in good condition? # Be Responsible.If you live in a community like mine where horse facilities are not common, remember that youre in the public eye every minute. As an equestrian, you are well aware of the varying needs of horses. Defining and designating specific uses for specific types of property is a public process. endstream endobj 109 0 obj <. However, this recommendation can only ever be a guide as there are many factors affecting this, such as: Size and type of horse. The R stands for housing, and the 1 indicates that only one residential unit is allowed per lot. Apache Junction, Pinal County, Arizona. Section 503 of that document addresses specifics of . On the other hand, if you are looking to purchase acreage on which to board horses, it is best to overestimate the amount of acreage you will need per horse. How Much Are Elephant Rides At Shrine Circus? Under this scenario, of course, you will need to be patient and should expect to pay for legal and professional fees, before you can begin enjoying your intended use on the land.4. "Horses (and hb``` ea ( H@" (f`e`,qeg|9s!,s|s{osfxcsV7@7"` .# - must be minimized as much as possible. Are you planning on organized forms of exercise each day or relying on turnouts for activity? * "Horse permits" (requiring horse owners to complete, sometimes annually, an application. If you are looking for a home for your horses, it is important to research the unique requirements of their breed. The latest Arizona alfalfa acres and value are from 2015. 85331. If your pasture isnt producing enough grass to sustain your horses, you can always feed your horses hay and grain. Where Are The Fastest Horses On A Merry-Go-Round? For example, dont trample or cut across someone else?s property without permission. And of course, no structures should be built nor located on any lot without first obtaining proper building permits.