What is a Horse-Safe Property?

  The objective of the Horse-Safe program is to certify agents and real estate professionals in the knowledge of what is a horse safe environment. The presence of hazards, even the most subtle hazards can be especially detrimental to livestock, specifically horses.

As we progress through this course we will outline what constitutes a threat to equine livestock and what standards and practices should be maintained to certify a property as truly horse-safe. 

There are many hazards to equine livestock, from improper fencing, harmful chemicals, unstable terrain, inadequate shelter, or exposure to predatory animals. 

The Horse-Safe course will help you outline those hazards and help you to guide your sellers and buyers to better understand how having a horse-safe property can be beneficial to all; improving the marketability, value and function of the equine facility.

First and foremost in our study is the safety of both the horse and the rider, unstable terrain can cause hazards to both. If the property is infested with burrowing animals the likelihood of injury to horse and rider is high. If unstable soil conditions create a potential for injury, those areas should be fenced or corrected to prevent injury to horse and rider. 

Debris can be a particular cause for concern, loose wire, fencing, sharp objects; even some types of vegetation can be of concern. Unlike cattle horses are very susceptible to illness from ingesting certain organic materials.  

Chemicals can often be found on ranch and farm operations, many of the most common chemicals can be harmful or even fatal to horses.  

Shelter is a primary concern for equine livestock, while horses have endured for centuries in the wild and are a very hardy animal. Since man has domesticated and cross bred the horse it has become somewhat dependent on man for it’s existence. As horse owners, equestrian professionals and conservationists it is incumbent on us to see that the horses have proper shelter. Many breeds have been taken from their natural environment and introduced into harsh conditions that they were not bred for. 

With the varying types of breeds we encounter there are warm blooded and cold blooded horses in environments that are not conducive to their body makeup and  temperature requirements.