Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle, capable of eliciting passionate enthusiasm in its fans. Today, the sport attracts more widespread interest than ever. Reading the horse racing cards available has become an art form, as new technologies allow bettors to access vast stores of statistics and expert insights more easily than ever before. As such, data-driven punters now have an unprecedented ability to make informed bets. When it comes to actually placing the bets there are more ways than ever, if you’ve forgotten your card you can even top up with Google Pay.
Are you a fan of horse racing? Or, even more important, are you the proud owner of a horse farm or other equestrian property? If so, there’s no doubt you take great pride in your space and want to ensure it is cared for properly and provides your horses with everything they need.
That said, owning an equestrian property isn’t always easy – there are numerous considerations to remember when caring for one. In this blog post, we’ll dive into six tips that any horse farm owner should know to ensure their land stays liveable and comfortable for themselves and the animals within it. So, read on – whether you’re new to equestrian properties or have been tending them all your life, these tips will help make upkeep easier.
Talk to a Professional
One of the first tips for any equestrian property owner, especially if you are new to owning property, especially equestrian property, would be to talk to a professional. Owning equestrian property can be very challenging since not only does it need to be maintained, but you also need to improve it continuously.
Professionals will be able to tell you what needs to be maintained the most and what additions are the most important, especially the very early ones. You will also need to talk to a professional to think of ways to get your property to make money for you.
Write a List of Things You Want
As mentioned above, equestrian properties need to be continuously improved, which means adding things to the property that can help increase the value but also help you generate money, which will be covered last.
If the property is brand new and untouched, you should write down a list of things you want for the property or things it needs. For example, feed storage, irrigation, arena, paddock shelters, equipment storage, hot/cold wash bay, stables, and more. All these things cost money, so figure out which is the most important to get first.
Researching Before Adding Anything
This leads us to the next tip on this list: research before adding anything to the property. It’s one thing to read that you need a hot/cold wash bay or an arena in a guide, but it’s another thing entirely to actually understand what they are.
More importantly, you must research what they do, what value they add, and, most importantly, where they should be built on the property. In addition, there are many options for each of the things you need, so don’t jump into the first choice that appears.
Consider the Additions You Need
As mentioned above, there are a few things to add to the property, but that list is relatively short. You will need to add these important things to get the property up and running.
Stables are one of the most important aspects of your equestrian property, not only for your horses but for those of others, too. Second, you will need an arena, and you must consider many factors, such as the slope, the location, the space, and the soil. Then, there are boundary fences and drainage that need to be built, so the stables don’t get flooded.
Ensure the Correct Soil Type
In all honesty, this is something you should have considered when buying the property, but it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world if you haven’t; soil can be bought. One particular soil you should avoid would be heavy land like clay since this doesn’t drain easily and will require reseeding.
You should aim for soil like chalking soils since they are free draining and allow for the most grazing and turnout. If you did buy a property with the wrong soil, you have options, such as soil nutrients and the ability to change the acidity level, but it will be a lot of hard work.
Budget Effectively
Finally, if you have bought an equestrian property, the last tip on this list would be to budget effectively. Again, this should have started before you bought the property so that you could at least afford one or two additions.
In terms of budgeting, get the most important additions first to make the property work for you. For example, if you build stables, you can charge people to rent the stables. If you have an arena, you can increase the price of the stables since the renters can use the arena.