Expert: Lisa Lee - 10/25/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi! So I am very interested in buying a horse except the board at the stables near me is very high priced. I was wondering if it is against the law to keep a horse in your back yard in New Jersey. My back yard is very large, enough room for a shelter it is all fenced in. There is also space to walk and trot only, and safe grace, a lot of room to rome. Do you know if I can? Thank you!
Rayna

ANSWER: Hi- the first thing you would need to do is check if there are any local ordinances against having livestock on your property. Generally 2 acres for the first horse and 1 acre for each after is what I have seen as common requirements.

Second - keeping a horse at home can be expensive also - you have feed/hay to purchase, vet bills, farrier bills.  What do you do with the manure the horse produces?  Remember also horses are herd animals, and do better with other animals vs. being alone.  What type of fencing do you have? Chain link is NOT good - especially if the top is exposed - easy place for a horse to get its' face caught and injured.

Do you have any experience with keeping a horse? The thing I recommend is to take lessons, and/or possibly lease a horse to make sure it is something you want to take on full time.  

Keeping a horse at home means you need to feed it AT LEAST 2 times/day, clean up after it, make sure it has fresh water.....something as simple as going away for a weekend now becomes difficult unless you have someone reliable to take care of the horse.

I don't mean to scare you off - but having a horse at home is a big responsibility!

If you have any other specific questions please don't hesitate to ask.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok thank you so much! Do you know were i could find out about my towns law on this issue? I do have a dog but I have seen many horses live with dogs and I would plan to bring the horse to the stables so I can ride there every so often with more room to move and canter and jump. The horse would interact with others there. I haven't had much experience but I have been riding for 5 years, I have done a camp every year for a week which lets you take care of a horse like its your own. I am going to an even better camp for that this summer for four weeks and I learn how to completely take care of a horse of my own.

Answer
Check with your local Zonong Department - they should be able to help you with that.  Yes, horses can live with dogs (mine grow up with them on pasture) HOWEVER if the dog and/or horse are not used to each other, you would have to introduce them gradually.  Dogs can be very territorial and may see a horse as an interloper - they can also do a LOT of damage if they find the horse a threat, or even just playing together (And yes, some horses/dogs will play).

It is good that you have some experience. Do you have a way to get the horse to the stables safely? That is another expense - also, many stables will charge for you to use their facility if you are not taking lessons there.

Lastly - do you have a specific horse you are looking at, or still need to start looking? Right now there are MANY horses in need of good homes for very low prices. HOWEVER - you should have someone knowledgeable about horses (been raising/taking care/riding for years) help you pick a horse so you find the best match possible. All too many times I see people buying the wrong horse for them (wrong type of riding for example) or buying too much horse for the rider.  

If you do progess as far as looking for a horse, I would suggest www.ac4h.com - Another Chance for Horses. There are many diffrent horses there - many inexpensive - either for sale by owner, or saved from auction.......

Please feel free to email with any more questions! Lisa