Equestrian Communities Out Of The Barn

Well-planned equestrian communities takes building or buying a barn out of the horse-ownership equation for both owners and equine fanciers, while providing a New Ruralism lifestyle in a managed environment with the latest residential technology and concierge services.

by Jennifer & Michael Donovan
© 2008 Equestrian Services, LLC

A 'Seconds Anyone?' Special to the Deadline Newsroom - You no longer need to build or buy a barn to live the equestrian life.

A growing number of equestrian communities -- designed much like successful golf communities -- offer central horse housing facilities that allow residents to board their own horses or interact with their neighbor's equestrian companions.

There are nearly 300 equestrian-themed communities in the U.S. because the U.S. offers an excellent opportunity for the development of future equestrian communities. The $39 billion-dollar horse industry includes more than 4.6 million participating Americans and tens of millions more involved as spectators, according to a 2005 economic study conducted by Deloitte Consulting LLP for the American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF).

For Builders and Developers

With appropriate planning, design and support, builders can develop a successful community built to serve the equestrian enthusiast and nature lover, but only after several issues are addressed.

• Perform a feasibility study before you commit to a project. Like golf courses, equestrian facilities are not operationally profitable. A feasibility study will help you determine that the development model makes overall economic sense. Unlike golf, there are a broad range of equestrian disciplines, interests and pursuits. A feasibility study will identify the specific equestrian niche that will bring the greatest value to your project.

• Consider the financials. Are the amenity capital costs in line with the development's pro forma? Does the equestrian amenity make financial sense? If designed, executed and managed properly, an equestrian community can help a project's bottom line, including higher per-acre lot prices and faster sales pace.

• Carefully select who will manage and operate the equestrian facility. Solid programming and management is needed to ensure long term success and secure appropriate liability insurance. A professional equestrian management company will bring the best expertise and minimize risks associated with barn operations.

• Work with experts in equestrian planning. Even a lifetime of riding horses does not make someone qualified to plan, design, construct, or operate an equestrian facility. Equestrian planning requires equestrian experience, but it also requires a broad range of expertise including land planning, architecture, finance, business management and hospitality training. Don't risk your multi-million dollar investment to someone that does not possess the necessary skill-set.

Attracting Buyers

For many, living in a well-executed and correctly-managed equestrian community fulfills a lifelong dream. The buyers need the developer's assurance that these communities will be properly planned, designed, implemented and managed, creating an exceptional standard of living for active equestrians and passive enthusiasts alike.

Marketing strategies include:

• Boast the New Ruralism concept. Combining the best of rural living, within a managed environment, with the latest residential technology has emerged as one of the hottest lifestyle trends.

• Provide an equestrian brand. A strong equestrian "name" promises the homebuyer a level of quality and service. The Oaks of Lake City, located 35 minutes from Gainesville, Florida, features the world's first exclusively-branded O'Connor Signature equestrian facility, and is enjoying robust lot sales even in today's market.

• Include concierge services. Highly-trained equestrian staff is a selling point. Horse owners feel confident with staff who possess credentials in equine care and are then able to leave their horses (without worry) when they travel or simply lack the time for daily horse care.

• Promote the land expanses. Large tracts of open land for multi-use trails, riding arenas and parks are part of a successful equestrian community.

Animal Planet says the horse is the nation's fourth most popular animal, and with nearly 2 million people owning 9.2 million horses, another two million people involved as equestrian volunteers or engaged in the equestrian lifestyle through family affiliation, according to the Deloitte study, the demand for equestrian communities featuring New Ruralist principles is expected to remain strong.

About Equestrian Services, LLC:

Founded in 2000, Equestrian Services, LLC, plans, designs and manages equestrian amenities for communities and resorts, worldwide. Setting the standard for equestrian facilities, the company offers the only branding opportunities, under the Karen and David O'Connor and John Lyons names, for builders and developers offering equestrian amenities. Equestrian Services provides comprehensive services from feasibility studies to equestrian facility management. Equestrian Services is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, visit Equestrian Services, LLC.

© 2008 This article is reprinted with permission from Equestrian Services, LLC.

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Don't Horse Around With Equestrian Community Model

Buying into an equestrian community requires the horse sense to make sure builders and developers address key points that ensure success of the community.

by Michael & Jennifer Donovan
© 2008 Equestrian Services, LLC

A 'Seconds Anyone?' Special to the Deadline Newsroom - Equestrian community living has been around for decades. California, always the community living trend setter, began designing and planning these equestrian communities in the 1970s. Designed after successful golf community living, this concept offers a community a new theme for people with similar interests to live and interact around a common element - the horse.

Today, as golf courses reach saturation levels, many developers have adopted a new anchor for their developments - the equestrian amenity. The growth of the equestrian community model has sky-rocketed at staggering rates and at last count there were nearly 300 equestrian communities in the United States, all planned or in the process of being built within in the last five years.

The following is a list of key points and questions community builders and developers should address to ensure success of their equestrian community. With appropriate planning and support, savvy builders and developers can tap into this growing market.

• Work with experts that have experience executing all phases of the development process. Work with an organization that offers feasibility, designing and delivering the equestrian model. A golf course developer would hire Jack Nicklaus or Tom Fazio. Today, developers have the opportunity to work with some of the world's leading horse people, including John Lyons, “America's Most Trusted Horseman,” and equestrian Olympians Karen and David O'Connor, as they each offer the opportunity to create the world's first line of branded equestrian facilities and amenities to builders and developers with a turn-key design to management process.

• Identify the right partner to conduct feasibility, planning, design and management. The stakes are high, and just as you would bring experts to the table for golf or other amenities, an equestrian amenity requires specific expertise, detail and special skills that will, in the end, save you time and aggravation and ultimately serve your return on investment goals.

Determine the equestrian program that will best serve your community residents. You need to understand who you are serving. Different types of residents require different programming. Are the residents:

• Active adults?
• Primary, second, third home owners?
• Weekend visitors?
• Seasonal visitors?
• Multi-generational?
• Families?
• Competitive or recreational equestrian riders?
• Entertainment riders?

Each will bring their own set of requirements and demands. It is wise to plan around their needs.

• Consider and address all the program-specific requirements in a community-based equestrian facility. We know from experience that there is no “one fits all” model when designing an equestrian community, unlike other amenities such as golf where there are standard offerings for the golfer. The diversity of horse activities, from dressage and eventing, to reining and western pleasure riding, , and the different equipment and riding environment each requires will need to be considered.

• Are the amenity capital costs in line with your development pro forma? Although requiring far less capital investment than a comparable golf amenity, does the equestrian amenity make overall financial sense? Cost basis for the land, number of lots and demographic of your buyer all play a part in determining potential ROI (return of investment?). Additionally, in a slow real estate market the increase in sales-pace obtained from offering a properly designed and executed equestrian amenity can add significant value to a project. Performing a feasibility study will allow you to evaluate the benefit an equestrian amenity can bring to your project.

• Consider the costs to run this operation on a monthly basis. Recognizing that all community-based equestrian amenities operate at a deficit, they must be subsidized either through an HOA assessment or club membership program. Assess its operational feasibility and address these issues early on in the planning phase. A thorough understanding of these costs is paramount to the long term sustainability of an equestrian amenity.

• Identify who will manage and/or operate the equestrian facility. Consider hiring a professional equestrian management company who can provide years of quality experience with a talented, trained staff offering exceptional service to the residents and their horses. The previous options - allocating a current staff person unfamiliar with the equestrian lifestyle in a community setting or leasing the facility to an outside operator unfamiliar with overall objectives and needs of the community and the developer and only interested in serving their own agenda - have failed time and again. An organization dedicated to hospitality-based equestrian management will bring the best expertise, long-term, and will ensure both today's and tomorrow's objectives are met.

• Today's equestrian buyers are hungry for these developments. But, they are also leery and need assurance. Continuity of service is critical after many equestrian models failed in the past. However, with such high demand for living the equestrian community lifestyle, this market has unmet needs of which a savvy developer can take advantage. By approaching the equestrian amenity development similarly to designing a golf amenity, including proper planning, design, implementation and management, there is an opportunity to set an exceptional standard in equestrian living and successfully enter an exciting market.

About Equestrian Services, LLC:

Founded in 2000, Equestrian Services, LLC, plans, designs and manages equestrian amenities for communities and resorts, worldwide. Setting the standard for equestrian facilities, the company offers the only branding opportunities, under the Karen and David O'Connor and John Lyons names, for builders and developers offering equestrian amenities. Equestrian Services provides comprehensive services from feasibility studies to equestrian facility management. Equestrian Services is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. For more information, visit Equestrian Services, LLC.

© April 2008 This article is reprinted with permission from Equestrian Services, LLC.

Advertise on DeadlineNews.Com

Get news that really hits home for your Web site or blog from DeadlineNews.Com.
Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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