Beasts of Burden? Finding Horse-Friendly Homes

With the rise in the cost of equestrian boarding, horse owners have been making difficult decisions: sell their loving, four-legged herbivores or buy property that's appropriately zoned for horse-keeping.

Though the suburbs of Long Island originally developed to accommodate an equestrian lifestyle, you now have to do the research to locate horse-friendly communities and their particular zoning laws in order to ascertain what best suits you and your horse. In Huntington, Long Island, for example, there are many who take advantage of the one-acre minimum required for backyard horses.  They can often be seen grazing the lawn or blazing the vast maze of trails that surround Jayne's Hill (the highest point of elevation on LI). In Islip and Smithtown, a mere half-acre will permit you the opportunity to hold onto your horses (nytimes.com).

You don't have to add your beloved creature to the growing lists of horses for sale. It can be quite economical to locate a town befitting your pocket where you can build stalls and tend to the horses yourself. Beast of burden? Doesn't have to be for you.

Some current listings with Nest Seeker's International are listed below; but with a broker by your side, the options are endless:
(1) Southampton Mansion
(2) Idyllic Upstate Living

BY CARLY B. PERAHIA / NEST SEEKERS INTERNATIONAL