Have you been considering buying horse property? If so, once you start looking you’ll discover the most frustrating aspect of the hunt: horse property that was designed without considering the horse. All the amenities often seem focused on creature comforts for the humans, with little regard for what constitutes good, basic housing for horses. One horsekeeping community that hopes to change that is from Equestrian Services LLC, the provider of turnkey equestrian amenities for communities and resorts throughout the United States. They’ve paired with three-day eventing Olympic medalists Karen and David O’Connor to create the O’Connor Signature equestrian facility. The facility will be located at The Oaks, a residential community in Lake City, Fla. Construction begins this spring.
The O’Connor Signature at The Oaks will be modeled on successful golf industry branding and management concepts, somewhat similar to communities that boast an Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus golf course. Aside from more than 15 miles of riding trails that loop through the neighborhoods, the equestrian community will also features one to five-acre lots and a central boarding and training facility. And, naturally, there are plans for a cross-country course designed by David O’Connor. That beats a golf course and a crowded country club swimming pool any day, right?