The Equestrian Industry

Posted on February 28, 2020 by blogeditor

The equestrian industry is a million dollar business involving every state of the US. However, it can be hard to pinpoint specific statistics on how much the industry contributes to the economy. To fix this problem, the American Horse Council commissioned a study in 2017 to get more accurate numbers. The study focuses on the financial information and trends that are shaping the equestrian industry. It was able to show how much money the horse industry is making and in what ways. Additionally, the horse industry contributes $50 billion to the GDP of the United States. According to the study, there are 7.2 million horses in the country. The following list shows estimated numbers of horses by activity from the AHC’s study.

US Horse Industry Statistics

Recreation Horses—3,141,449 Horses
- Privately owned as pets. Also, these horses do not farm or in any way produce substantial income.
Showing Horses—1,227,986 Horses
- Performance show horses. Shows include reining, jumping, and much more from a wide array of horse training.
Racing Horses—1,224,482 Horses
- Racing event horses. These include popular derbies like those found at Santa Anita Park in California or the Churchill Downs in Kentucky.
Working Horses- 537,261 Horses
- Working horses refers to horses that are used to perform a task, typically by agricultural means.

Is the equestrian industry an exclusive club? This is a common misconception. Actually, nearly half of the horse owners in the US are from the middle class, earning $25,000 to $75,000 annually. Also, many people make a living in this industry. The equestrian industry has a direct employment impact of 988,394 jobs. Additionally, the industry itself contributes $38 billion in direct wages, salaries, and benefits. Are you one of the many horse owners in the US? Looking to relocate to the state of Colorado? Our team at Colorado Horse Property is made up of highly-qualified, horse-person realtors. Contact Colorado Horse Property today!

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FAQs Colorado Horse Properties

Posted on February 28, 2020 by blogeditor

Photo by Filipe Dos Santos Mendes on Unsplash. Horse properties.

Owning a Colorado horse property means that you can have your horses at home. This is a fact that’s much more appealing than the alternative of keeping your horses boarded off-site. Not only is it less convenient, it is also very expensive. Therefore, if you’re planning on becoming first time horse buyers, you might have to move in order to have the space and freedom you need. Here are some facts about horse properties that we get asked about a lot. You should consider them when looking for a home for you and your horse.

Frequently Asked Questions about Colorado Horse Properties

Space is very important and you should determine how much land you need before you start looking at properties. Three acres may be sufficient if you want to have a small backyard barn with two horses, but that will differ from person to person. Plan ahead of time of how much you want to grow your herd. You may need more land than you originally thought. Then there’s barns. Some horse properties will already have them and some of them will not. Just because a house is zoned for horses and other animals doesn’t mean that the previous owner had them. Therefore, the property might not have a barn. There are many barn builders in the state of Colorado. Plan out how much of a barn you will need and then shop around.

What about pastures? Are they already available on the property? Are they large enough to support the number of horses that you plan on having? If possible, look at the quality of the grass in the pastures. Having pastures with lots of grass can help to reduce your hay bill during the summer. Finally, take a step back and look at the overall layout of the property. Is the barn located behind the house or off to the side? Are the pastures easily accessible by road? A property’s layout can be a major feature which isn’t easily changed. The Realtors here at Colorado Horse Property know what to look for when it comes to horse properties and can help you find the perfect home for you. Give the Colorado Horse Property team a call today!

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Think You Want to Buy a Horse?

Posted on February 27, 2020 by blogeditor

Photo by Sarah Olive on Unsplash. How to buy a horse.

Should you go to a breeder or is a rescue a better place to buy a horse? With so many paths for first time horse buyers and long-term horse owners, it can be hard to decide. Should you spend a ton of money on trained horse, or do you get a horse that you’ll have train? You can Google until your hands hurt, or you can learn everything you need to know from a professional. Colorado Horse Rescue‘s Head Trainer and Clinician Sarah Hofkamp is one such professional.

She will be going over how to buy a horse and horse ownership at the CHR’s March 15^th clinic. Thickets for the clinic is only $65 per person and will begin at 10 AM. This clinic educates horse-buyers on the intricacies of selecting the right horse and how to keep it happy and healthy. Also, CHR is a great opportunity to get involved in your local equine community.

About Colorado Horse Rescue

If any one facet of the Colorado horse community were building a better future for horses, it would be CHR. There slogan is, “We see it. We believe in it. And we are here to make it happen.” Colorado Horse Rescue is an impact organization that has been operating in Colorado since 1986.

The organization works to create a reality where safe solutions exist for every horse. Unfortunately, due to poor education and limited options, not all horses have a safe home and that’s why CHR actively seeks out and takes in all types of at-risk horses. They enable owners who have fallen on tough times to re-home their beloved horses without judgement. They do their best to make sure that no horses are sent to slaughter or unsafe conditions via auction or sale. Looking for a new home for you and your horses? Call the Colorado Horse Property team today for the best horse-person realtors in the state.

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Leadville Ski Joring

Posted on February 27, 2020 by blogeditor

March 2020 is a great time to be in Leadville Colorado. All types of events occur here, like Leadville Ski Joring and the Crystal Carnival Weekend. Aside from Ski joring, join in the fun with mountain biking, Nordic ski races, a paintball biathlon, and many other kinds of winter fun! If Denver is the Mile High City, then Leadville is the Two-Mile-High City at an elevation of over ten thousand feet. Also, Leadville resides near the headwaters of the Arkansas River, right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Leadville got its start as a mining settlement in 1859 during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush, though it didn’t grow until 1877 when silver was found there during the Colorado Silver Boom. Today, Leadville focuses on its tourism, history, and outdoor recreation.

What’s Ski Joring?

In regular skiing, the skier relies on gravity to pull them down the snow-laden mountain to the finish line. Ski Joring is a lot like regular skiing, however horses do the work of the gravity. Leadville Ski Joring is an amazing sport where a horse and rider race down snow-packed Harrison Avenue in Leadville’s downtown, pulling a skier who’s holding onto a rope. The entire street is filled with show jumps and obstacles for the skiers to maneuver through.

Ride your own horse or ski, bid on a team at the Calcutta auction, or line up on Harrison Avenue to watch the excitement. This an annual tradition, so there’s no ticket prices or waiting in line. In other words, it’s free to watch. Kids can get in on the action, too, and try ski joring behind a snowmobile. The event is held March 7-8, 2020 from noon to 3 p.m. both days! To insure the safety of the horses, riders, skiers, and onlookers, leave your pets and drones at home; they tend to scare the horses. If you are interested in Colorado horse property in Leadville, give the Colorado Horse Property team a call today!

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Colorado Horse Property: Top 10 Counties

Posted on February 5, 2020 by blogeditor

Colorado Horse Property

Colorado Horse Property is not just for horse owners. If you’re looking for land, ranches, farms, low property taxes, and no HOA fees, Colorado Horse Property is for you! Colorado Horse Property currently have over 10,000 properties listed. Not only that, but our brokers are horse-person realtors. You are not buying a condo or a cookie cutter house! You are buying the real dream. Your last choice for free will. They are not making any more. Most properties today come with a whole laundry list of restrictions. We specialize in helping people buy or sell the dream-land, ranch, farm or horse property. You need an experienced and knowledgeable local Broker and company that specializes in this niche real estate market.

With so many properties to look at, you might not know where to start. The following is a list of the top ten counties with the most horse properties in Colorado.

Top 10 Counties

300-400

#1 Jefferson County—377 Horse Properties

Jackson County is one of the most mountainous counties in the state of Colorado. North Park includes Park Range, the Sierra Madre Range, Rabbit Ears Range, the Never Summer Mountains, and the Medicine Bow Mountains. Read More

#2 Montezuma County—392 Horse Properties

Established in 1889, Montezuma county makes up the southwestern corner of the state of Colorado. Also, this corner is known as the Four Corners because it is where the corners of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah come together. Read More

400-500

#3 Costilla County—409 Horse Properties

Costilla County has a ton of history that dates back to the 1500s. In fact, the area was the first area of the state of Colorado to be colorado with recorded history by the explorer Coronado. Read More

#4 Gunnison County—425 Horse Properties

The county and a town of the same name which is now the county seat was named for John Williams Gunnison. Read More

#5 Douglas County—430 Horse Properties

Though much of Douglas County’s history is full of pioneer stories of early Americans, the area has come a long was from wagons and horses. In fact, Douglas County recently ranked as a top Digital County in the country. Read More

#6 Fremont County—465 Horse Properties

Arguably the most notable landmarks of Fremont County that draws tourism into the area is the Royal Gorge, a canyon on the Arkansas River that runs through Cañon City. Read More

#7 Archuleta County—480 Horse Properties

Archuleta County was officially formed in 1885, out of what was once the western edge of Conejos County. The name of the county was in honor of Antonio D. Archuleta, who was the Senator from Conejos County at the time. Read More

500+

#8 La Plata County—554 Horse Properties

The county boasts the Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site, the type site for the Basketmaker II period of Anasazi culture. Read More

#9 Park County—759 Horse Properties

Park County is the home of Spinney Mountain State Park. The park centers on the Spinney Mountain Reservoir, which is popular with anglers. Read More

#10 El Paso County—857 Horse Properties

Slightly more than twice the area of the state of Rhode Island, El Paso County lies in east central Colorado and encompasses more than 2,158 square miles of land. El Paso County’s topography is unique in the state because of its variety of mountains and plains. Read More

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Winter Horses

Posted on January 27, 2020 by blogeditor

Horse owners are naturally going to over-prepare their horses for the winter. It’s inevitable. Though closing the barn windows and turning up the heater seems like a good idea, it might not be. All horses are winter horses; they are equipped to handle most winters.

For instance, horses are naturally claustrophobic and their mental well-being suffers when confined. Though they will need to take shelter some times, horses instinctively need open spaces. Standing in a stall for long periods of time can be damaging to your horse’s health. Just like humans, it is not good for horses to be sedentary. It leads to ulcers, colic, and other digestive disorders, not to mention obesity. Good horse owners will know that having some sort of shelter is a must. However, using it should be your horse’s choice, not yours. Winter horses will always take shelter when they need to.

Are Horse Blankets Necessary?

Drive through any horse community in Colorado, like Elizabeth or Salida, during the winter. Some horses will have blankets on and some will not. Putting a blanket on a horse will vary from situation to situation. Overall, your horse’s coat is fully equipped to keep it insulated against the cold in most cases. As long as they can go into their stall during strong winds and wet weather, your horse is able to keep sufficiently warm in the coldest weather. Starting thinking of your horses as winter horses.

So, when are horse blankets necessary? Horses who shiver in the cold, are underweight, aging, ill, or otherwise frail, may feel better with extra covering. However, keep a check on your horse. Are they sweating under the blanket? You don’t want to inhibit your horse’s coat from its natural ability to protect against the cold. So, if your horse is sweating or exhibiting signs of discomfort due to the blanket, make sure to take the blanket off. For more information, contact Colorado Horse Property today.

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Three Draft Horse Myths

Posted on January 27, 2020 by blogeditor

What Are Draft Horses?

The Daft Horse is a breed of large horses. For instance one named Sampson holds the world record for the biggest horse. Old horse owners bred them to be a working animal, doing hard tasks such as plowing and other farm labor. There are several Draft breeds, like the Irish Draft, the Latvian, and the Breton. These breeds exhibit varying characteristics, but all share common traits of strength, patience, and a docile temperament. These traits originally made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers. However, you have probably dismissed draft horses for riding because of common misconceptions associated with these breeds. The following are some myths about Draft Horses and the truths behind them.

Draft Horse Myths

Riders can’t mount a Draft Horse unaided on the trail.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Draft Horse. Common sense tells us that it is difficult to mount a tall horse on the trail. However, there are ways to overcome this. Start by training your draft horse to stand still while you mount. You can even train your horse to kneel, making mounting easier.
Draft horses are slow.
Uneducated riders might look at a Draft Horse and think they are genetically modified or overweight. This is not true. Yes, Draft Horses are much taller than the horses people typically ride, but they were bred that way just others are bred to be smaller. A healthy draft horse has just as much energy and is just as capable of cantering and galloping as any other breed.
Draft horses are harness horses, not riding horses.
Yes, their size makes them great harness horses. They can pull wagons and plows with ease. But don’t think they can’t be saddled up as well. Not all Draft breeds are incredibly big. Don’t forget about the Gypsy Vanner, the Norwegian Fjord, the Haflinger, and the Friesian.

For more information about Draft Horse, contact Colorado Horse Property today. If you are looking for horse property in Colorado, contact one of our horse-person realtors for help.

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Rocky Mountain Horse Expo

Posted on January 27, 2020 by blogeditor

Organized by the Colorado Horse Council, the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo is one of the biggest events of the season. Kicking off the new year, this horse event brings great equine talent, including presenters and clinicians, from all over Colorado to center stage. This year, you can join in the fun from February 28th at 8:00 am to March 1st at 5:00 pm. The 2020 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo will be held at the National Western Complex at 4655 Humboldt Street in Denver. Tickets range from $12 to $55 depending on what event you want to attend and how many people you’re bringing. Parking is about $10 per day and kids under 5 get in free.

Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Events

The Colorado Horse Council’s mission is to bring horse owners and the Colorado horse industry together. The Council does this by creating a common voice between them through legislation and education. That is really what this Horse Expo is all about. The CHC respects all breeds and is not a discipline-specific organization. It also employs a full-time contract lobbyist, who works with the State Legislature on horse and agriculture-related issues.

The 2020 Horse Expo will fill the complex with many equestrian events. The Mane Event is a family show, for instance. Parents, bring your kids to meet many breeds and disciplines of horses. Also, the equine performances for the younger audience is geared towards the beauty and capabilities of the horse. Bring your horse and ride along with the professionals in the Ride With The Experts event. Also, don’t forget about the Art in the Park event. Meet artists like Dawn Key, Cindy Harrison, and Samantha Barela. In addition, for information about the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, contact Colorado Horse Property today.

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How to Prevent Barn Fires

Posted on January 8, 2020 by blogeditor

Winter is the best time to prepare your property for barn fires. Barn fires can be very devastating, not only to the owners but to the products and animals inside them. Take some time this January to think about what is in or around your barn that could be a risk of causing a fire. Here are a few tips when it comes to preventing barn fires.

Preventing Barn Fires

Smoking around barns is unsafe; it is also one of the most common causes of fires. Your barn and property must be smoke-free. Implement a “no-smoking” policy on your property and post signs. Enforce your policy actively. While many people cannot install sprinkler systems, everyone can and should install smoke detectors. You will need a detector that has the ability to distinguish smoke from dust. In order for your smoke detection system to really work, it must be installed by a professional who knows exactly what type to use and where to place individual detectors. Lightning is more common in some areas of the country than others. Strikes are more likely in exposed areas, particularly at high altitudes. Lightning is also common in some states such as Florida. Regardless of where you live, it is relatively simple to protect your buildings from lightning. Lighting protection consists of a rod and a grounding device.

Do not store combustible items in your barn. These include gasoline, volatile fluids, aerosols, paints, and compressed gases. If you must store these items, keep them away from people and animals in separate structures that are designated for storage. For more information, contact Colorado Horse Property. If you are looking to buy a horse property in Colorado, talk to one of our premiere horse person realtors today.

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Green Horsekeeping

Posted on January 8, 2020 by blogeditor

Keeping horses can be very hard on the environment. In order to reduce your strain on the world around you, horse owners should practice green horsekeeping. There are many ways that keeping horses impact the land. Manure, insect sprays, and weed killers on the pasture all can play a role in contaminating local streams and waterways. Here are a few things that you can do to practice green horsekeeping and improve your impact on the world.

One of the most important parts of green horsekeeping is making sure your pasture is in good shape. That means making your pasture healthy and mud-free. Less mud means less standing water, and no more runoff that’s likely to contaminate nearby streams. If your pastures are healthy, they’re also more likely to be weed-free, with a reduced need for toxic herbicides. A single horse can produce as much as 50 pounds of manure per day. That’s nine tons a year. What you do with the manure on your farm is important when it comes to protecting the environment. Composting is an ideal solution because it improves the soil. And then there’s building on your property. Whether you’re just building your barn, are making an addition, or are simply fixing fences, the type of construction you choose is an important environmental decision. Another option to consider is a wood composite. This manmade, wood-like product is made from as much as 65-percent recycled materials, including both recycled wood and plastic.

Colorado is a great place for raising horses. Many Colorado horse properties already have the structures in places, like barns and tack rooms. This makes for an easier transition when moving and makes green horsekeeping possible. If you have questions about horse properties in Colorado, contact one of our horse person realtors today!

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