Horse Property Loans

Posted on December 13, 2018 by blogeditor

Colorado Horse Property Loan Limits

We are here to tell you that there have been some changes to the loan limits on Colorado horse property loans. These changes could really benefit you. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (or FHFA) announced the maximum conforming loan limits. These limits are for mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2019. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy mortgages from lenders. They either hold these mortgages in their portfolios or package the loans into mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that may be sold. Lenders use the cash raised by selling mortgages to the Enterprises to engage in further lending.

In most of the U.S., the 2019 maximum conforming limit for horse property loans will be over $484,000. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) requires that the baseline conforming loan limit be adjusted each year for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is to mirror the difference in the average U.S. home price. According to FHFA’s seasonally adjusted, expanded-data HPI, house prices increased by nearly 7%, between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018. The baseline maximum conforming loan limit in 2019 will increase by the same percentage.

Therefore, areas in which 115% of the local median home value exceeds the baseline conforming loan limit, the maximum loan limit will be higher than the baseline loan limit. Median home values generally increased in high-cost areas in 2018, driving up the maximum loan limits in many areas. So, the new ceiling loan limit for one-unit properties in most high-cost areas will be $726,525—or 150 percent of $484,350. For more information on how this can benefit you, contact at horse-person realtor today at Colorado Horse Property. For more details Colorado horse property loan, check out our Real Estate Resources page.

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Preparing For A Horse Emergency

Posted on December 12, 2018 by blogeditor

Emergency Planning

No one wants to think about what would happen during a natural disaster. And yet being prepared for the worst is something that every Colorado horse property owner should be doing. If you are a Colorado horse owner, make sure to have a contingency plan in place for your home first. Then prepare a plan for your horses. Your horses are very important, but you have to have your own home in order first. Here is a list (provided by the Red Cross) of items that you should have available in case of a horse emergency.

- Water
- Non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- Crank or battery-operated flashlight and radio
- Extra batteries
- Extra keys for house and vehicles
- First aid kit
- Cash in small bills
- Personal hygiene items
- Important family documents
- A copy of your Home Emergency Plan

Horse Emergency

After you have taken care of your own needs, now it’s time to prepare your animals. All of your horses should have a halter and lead rope near their stall. Think about adding extra halters and lead ropes in multiple locations in your stables. Other things that you can do is store extra feed buckets, bedding, pitchforks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. You don’t want to clutter your barn, but having these extra items could come in handy in an emergency. Consider bringing the following:

- Horse ID papers
- Horse insurance papers
- Photographs of your horse with your and your vet’s information
- Luggage tags with the same information
- Spray paint or etch the hooves
- Auction crayons for tagging

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How To Breathe When Colorado Horseback Riding

Posted on December 7, 2018 by blogeditor

Colorado Horseback Riding

Colorado Horse Property would like to expand on our previous article “Effective Breathing When Horseback Riding.” Stress is the worst thing a rider can experience while Colorado horseback riding. Nerves and anxiety can sap a rider and their horse of energy. If you reset your breathing, a few beautiful things will happen. First of all, you will replenish your oxygen stores. Eventually, your mind will become less clouded, and you will be able to make better decisions. When you regain your confidence in the saddle, your riding potential will skyrocket.

The communication between you and your horse comes through your physical connection. If your body becomes impacted by stress, your horse will pick up on that emotion immediately. The more confidence you have while Colorado horseback riding, the more confident your horse will be as well. Learning to breathe correctly is the best tool for regulating stress in the saddle. Effective breathing can reverse the fight-or-flight response, and relax your body. The exact same can be said of your horse. With you and your horse back in control, you can both focus on what’s important.

Stress is known to riddle the mind with unnecessary doubt. That voice in your head, when infested with anxiety, will turn on you quickly. Instead of focusing on what is important, you will worry about everything excessively. When you reset your breath and replenish the oxygen to your brain, it will be easier to think more clearly and purposefully. You will be able to direct your thoughts back to your riding and your goals. This will give you a greater sense of control, which in turn will lead to greater feelings of confidence for you and your horse. For more information, contact a horse-person realtor at Colorado Horse Property.

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Effective Breathing When Horseback Riding

Posted on December 7, 2018 by blogeditor

Horseback Riding and Breathing

Breathing is an essential aspect of horseback riding that often gets overlooked. Click the link for trail riding tips and tips on how to saddle a horse; things to know before you get to this stage. After these steps, practice breathing at home before getting into the saddle. First, practice dropping your breathing low. Inhale deeply and then exhale. Your shoulders and chest will drop as you exhale. You are now ready to try while horseback riding.

While on horseback, drop your breathing low. You will feel a better connection with your horse as your body relaxes. With each breath, this connection will become stronger. You can do this exercise at a halt or a slow walk. There are many signs that the activity is helping your horse. Your horse will lower their neck, blow out their nostrils, and the ears will relax. This is known as connecting breathing. This technique is a great tool to add to your routine. When this technique is followed correctly, you and your horse will be starting from a calming place.

Take the time to build up your confidence. Practice makes perfect! Eventually, you will be able to influence your body when you need to the most. Now that you have gained your confidence with the connecting breath, you are ready for the breath reboot. First, slowly inhale and count to six. In turn, slowly exhale for a count of eight. Repeat two to four times. This technique will help you refocus while horseback riding. Use it at a show when you begin to feel nervous. You will quickly see those nerves fly out the window! For more information contact a horse-person realtor at Colorado Horse Property.

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How To Build An Indoor Colorado Riding Arena

Posted on December 5, 2018 by blogeditor

Building An Indoor Colorado Riding Arena

Expanding on our article on “Building A Horse Riding Arena In Colorado” there is so much to be said on the topic of indoor Colorado riding arena. Other key facts that should be considered when constructing an indoor arena are ventilation and the base. Ventilation comes through strategically placed openings that encourage the flow of air. Also, without adequate ventilation, you can get condensation on the roof that will drip down. Mechanical ventilation systems occur more often in heated (insulated) buildings and larger commercial projects. Therefore, make sure to discuss ventilation with your contractor. Go over your options to find the best method for you.

The base is the foundation on your riding arena and a vital component of the structure. That base should consist of four inches of compacted limestone screenings over top of a clean engineerable fill. This fill could be clay, sand, or an aggregate mix that does not contain any organic matter. The footing itself can range from a locally sourced sand to a sand and fiber mix. Add a permanent dust-free coating to either of these footings. A decent footing gives stability, traction, and shock absorption for your horses. Also, depending on what kind of horses you’ll be training, your footing may need to be different.

Different sands have different qualities. A sand mixture uses grains of different sizes. Hard, washed, medium-course sands, are preferred. You will also want sand with a high angular content. Other sands break down quickly creating dust and offer little traction. These sands to not make good riding arena surfaces. Deciphering the elements of quality sand and sourcing the material can be difficult. Consult with your contractor on footing when selecting your material. Click the link for more information on arena builders in Colorado.

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Building A Horse Riding Arena In Colorado

Posted on November 29, 2018 by blogeditor

Building an Indoor Riding Arena

We already know that it is crucial to ride your horse even during the offseason. This is a great way to keep a strong bond with your horse. For information on bonding with your horse, read “How To Bond With Your Horse” and “5 Ways To Bond With Your Horse“. In Colorado, this can be tricky because of the cold weather. That is just one of the reasons why you should have an indoor riding arena. There are many types of indoor riding arenas, like steel frame arenas and wood post frame arenas.

Steel frame arenas have a fabric roof made from polyethylene. Varying riding arena manufacturers offer different designs and foundation options. For a list of Colorado arena builders, go to our Local Resources page. Wood post frame buildings provide more flexibility when it comes to design. They also can have doors and adjoining buildings along the length of the building. Just like a house, windows and doors will affect the amount of natural light. Also, wood post frame buildings gives you the option of insulating the roof and walls. Picking the type of arena you want is critical, so make sure to talk to the manufacturer about your needs. They can help you decide based on those needs!

While in some states in America, it may be possible to bypass the permit process for the personal use of farm buildings, this is generally not the case in Colorado. But don’t be fooled. This is all for your safety. Having drawings from a licensed engineer ensures that your indoor riding arena meets the local building code. You will want to be protected against building collapse or deterioration that could put you and your beloved horses at risk. Furthermore, if you want your building insured, engineer-stamped plans and a building permit are typically a must.

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5 Ways To Bond With Your Horse

Posted on November 27, 2018 by blogeditor

Bond With Your Horse

Bonding with your horse is a great way to improve your overall health as well as the health of your horse. For more reading on horse bonding, check out our article How To Bond With Your Horse. (1) Riders should look at their offseason as an opportunity to bond with their horse. Many professionals spend their offseason introducing new skills such as flying changes and sliding stops, strengthening their discipline. (2) There are ways to be a fresh perspective on your horse. Spend some time in the saddle without stirrups or try riding other horses that are more experienced than your own. You can also attend a clinic or take lessons with an experienced trainer. Getting new perspectives on your horse will bring you closer.

(3) Riders are often forced to board their horses for the season at a professional training barn. This can result in low to zero one-on-one time with your horse. Not all horses react the same way to this type of low interaction. If your horse is not performing as well as usual, consider making a change. Making a trip back home with your horse and tack in tow can be annoying, but making time to bond with your horse at home might be just what your horse needs. (4) You can learn how to better bond with your horse by trying another discipline. During the offseason, try a new sport like jumping or cantering poles.

(5) One of the most important things that you can do to keep up with bonding methods is to research. Always read about new techniques online, visit equine trade shows in your area, or attend bonding seminars. Other studying opportunities include winter clinics, online courses, and magazine articles. For ideas on how to bond with your horse, contact Colorado Horse Property today.

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How To Bond With Your Horse

Posted on November 26, 2018 by blogeditor

Bond With Your Horse

Bonding with horses seems to be a fundamental trait that humans have developed over the years. Bonding with horses teaches compassion, patience, and has been shown to reduce stress. So how do you bond with your horse? Colorado Horse Property has put together a list of ways to bond with your horse that you might not have thought of before.

When your horse has to be seen by the vet, don’t take a back seat. Being there during this stressful period can increase the bond that you already have. So the next time your horse gets diagnostics, dental work, alternative therapies, or even surgery be present. If you are a competition rider, supplement your horse’s training with other activities in the off season. The more time you spend with your horse, the greater your bond will be. The greater the bond, the better your horse will be on and off the track. And don’t abandon your horse when winter comes. Winter can be harsh, especially in the state of Colorado, but your horse needs attention all year round. Put on your winter gear and get outside with your horse—you’ll both be glad you did!

It is common for your horse to show negative behaviors when they get older. Is your horse resisting and showing tension more lately? You could go out and get your horse all new tack and bring in a new trainer. However, this behavior could be the result of your bond with your horse slipping. Don’t feel bad. We all get busy sometimes, but when your horse is showing these signs it is time for you to get busy bonding again. It’s time to address these problems from a new angle, experiment with new techniques, and rebuild the foundation with your horse.

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What Your Colorado Horse Is Built For

Posted on November 21, 2018 by blogeditor

Your Colorado Horse

Taking a closer look at your horse’s physical structure is essential. This says a lot about your Colorado horse. Before reading this article, check out the article “What Your Colorado Horse Is Made For” for more information on this topic. If you have any questions about this article or are looking for horse property for sale in Colorado, contact one of the knowledgeable horse-person realtors at Colorado Horse Property.

Also, your horse’s legs are critical to examine. A horse with calf knees has front legs that bend backward. This can cause excess strain on the bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints, a problem found in some racehorses. Examining a horse’s legs can tell you where the force of your horse’s body weight is going. This can help you determine problems that your horse might have in the future, as we’ve seen with the calf knee example above. If your horse’s hind legs bow inward, this indicates additional stress on the hocks. This is commonly known as cow hocked. This could also mean that your horse will have problems with osteoarthritis or bone spavin.

Horse community professionals also evaluate horses by their physical structure. However, specific kinds of horses have physical structures that make them more suited to particular functions. Warmblood horses are great for show jumping. Thoroughbreds are good for speed. For more information on these breeds and more, read Five Popular Horse Breeds and Five More Popular Horse Breeds. Animals with the right build for their jobs are usually easier to train and less likely to develop performance-related injuries. Always do your research. Match your horse’s breed to what your Colorado horse is built to do.

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What Your Colorado Horse Is Made For

Posted on November 20, 2018 by blogeditor

What Is Your Colorado Horse Made To Do?

It probably seems like a silly question to ask on the surface. Which horse runs the fastest, jumps the farthest, trots the longest? Your horse’s structure is the key. One of the first things you’ll want to look for it how well balanced the horse is. In this case, we are referring to the balance of the three parts of the horse’s structure. These consist of the shoulders, barrel, and hindquarters.

If you look at the top line of your horse, you should be able to determine whether the area between the withers and the point of croup is level, uphill, or downhill. Don’t worry if your horse seems heavier in the front end. In fact, even well-balanced horses carry nearly sixty percent of their weight on their front end. This is due to the weight of the head and neck. Horses with a downhill slope are even heavier on the front end. Another physical trait that could determine what your Colorado horse is made for is angulation. Meaning the angle of certain key body parts.

Horse’s with an angled hip, but not an angled shoulder, will result in a slower horse. In this case, the horse will have a longer stride behind than in front. This type of imbalance causes the horse to not move well—even more at a diagonal. The shoulder angle is essential to look into because it usually matches the pastern angle or the part of the foot extending from the fetlock to the top of the hoof. An upright pastern angle results in poor shock absorption and a rough riding horse that’s prone to joint issues. For more information, contact the horse-people at Colorado Horse Property. Continue reading at What Your Colorado Horse Is Built For.

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