Regardless of what your future plans for your horse property may be, equestrian real estate is no small investment. Most quality properties sell for significant sums. And, if you wish to turn yours into a private facility, a training destination, or even simply a traditional farm for retired racehorses, you need to look at these efforts as long-term investments.
Seeing your property as an investment will aid you in making smarter, more informed decisions about your revenue streams. If you have invested in a good horse property in a prime location that has been cared for and well-maintained, you can easily alter your infrastructure to help the farm generate additional income.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best ways to help your equestrian estate earn more revenues, from leasing horses to hosting equestrian events, hiring out your riding arena, and more.
The Best Ways to Earn Extra Income for Your Horse Property
Sublease Your Horses
The costs of maintaining horses can be high, and part-leasing these costs to other skilled riders can help you to keep your horses healthy without draining your finances. If you do choose to sublease or part-lease a horse, remember to draft a detailed lease agreement with a specific duration period and details about how many days per week the lessee is permitted to ride.
Your agreement should also include stipulations regarding who will take financial responsibility for the horse, who will care for it, and how maintenance tasks will be handled and shared.
Host Equestrian Events
Horse owners and riders are always on the lookout for exciting equestrian activities. You can meet this need and help your farm to generate more income by creating obstacle courses, play areas, and fun race and games days for a fee.
Depending on the set-up of your farm, hosting fee-based events that are competitive, leisurely or even educationally focused can diversify your income streams and establish your farm as a leader in the local equine landscape.
Host Professionals at Your Farm
If you choose to host professional horse riders at your property, you could benefit financially from hosting services like clinics, riding events, farrier sessions, and other horse-centered services.
Many equine service providers choose to treat many horses at a single place rather than traveling to each horse individually. If you can charge a modest rental or service fee in exchange for allowing the use of your facilities, you could earn even more profit from your property investment.
Rent Your Horse Riding Arena
If your property contains an outdoor or indoor horse riding arena, you can make the best use of it and earn extra income by renting out hiring rights to other riders. You can use a punch card system, a boom gate, a monthly membership fee, or any other passive income structure you prefer to make some additional money without any significant costs on your part.
Remember to make your renters aware of your property rules and to provide them with liability forms that reduce your culpability and risk.
Sell Horse Grazing Rights
Mowing and maintaining your pastures can cost vast sums of money. But there is a simpler way to keep your horse property looking neat and presentable. Offering grazing rights to other horse and livestock owners at a fee can help to supplement your income while meeting the needs of those who do not have enough grazing space.
Each animal comes with its own grazing and fencing needs, but it is easy enough to build the right infrastructure to house a variety of different animals, including horses. Remember to use a clear and comprehensive rental agreement when selling or renting grazing rights to others.
Build a Website
Marketing your horse property is easy online, but you need a well-designed real estate website to showcase what you have to offer and the main features of your farm. Establishing a digital presence is becoming vital for all businesses, and if you want to attract more visitors and more income as a result, you should build a professional, customized website for your property.
On your website, include the details of your location and how to find you, the facilities and services you offer, the events that take place on your property, and what people can expect to pay should they wish to take part. Feature your contact details prominently on your website too.
Sell Your Horse Manure
Horse manure makes excellent compost for gardens and vegetable beds, and as a horse owner, you will probably have access to plenty of it! Rather than seeing it as a waste product, package up your composted manure and sell it to local gardeners, gardening groups, and community gardening projects.
Horse manure is a very sought-after gardening aid, and you could turn it into a significant source of income with the right marketing strategies in place. Plus, it’s fantastic for the environment as well.
Grow and Sell Produce
We mentioned earlier that horse manure is a great fertilizer for organic garden beds. If you have a green thumb and are great at growing fruits, vegetables, salads and herbs, consider using some of your composted manure to start up your own produce farm.
You can easily sell your organic produce at local farmer’s markets or cooperatives, and you could also supplement your income by selling fresh eggs, milk, and other products if you are housing chickens and cows on-site.
Transform Your Horse Property Into A Cash Cow
There are plenty of ways to make extra income and keep your finances stable as the owner of an equine property. Most horse properties are built on fertile soil and often in green belts too, making them rich sources of natural resources and space that can be transformed into cash flow.
If you’re aiming to rent out your riding arenas, outdoor spaces, grazing plots or any other parts of your property, remember to always sign a comprehensive legal rental agreement with your lessees that outlines all the conditions associated with the rental. This way, you can protect your investment and attract new income streams by using the resources that are already at your fingertips.
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