Nesconset NY real estate listings and homes for sale, home buying, home selling information

By CATHRINE DUFFY Special to Newsday, 6/10/2010. (edited)

From Madonna’s 26-acre Bridgehampton horse farm to more modest parcels scattered from Muttontown to Manorville, Long Island is, indeed, horse country.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the land that was once home to the original Rough Rider, Theodore Roosevelt, is home to hundreds of residential horse properties, and to the Long Island Riders, a cowboy mounted shooting team.

HOME TURF

Location is a big factor for equestrian-minded buyers, says real estate agent Gary Baumann at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate and

www.lihorseproperty.com. Homes that are close to public facilities that allow horses, such as West Hills County Park in Huntington and Connetquot State Park in Islip Terrace, are a draw. "Houses near entrances to these parks attract horse owners," Baumann says.

Realtors who specialize in horse properties advise buyers to be sure to check with the local municipality about whether horses may be kept on the property. Villages such as Belle Terre that were once home to many horses now prohibit them.

Regulations also may vary depending on the size and location of the parcel and may even be site-specific, Baumann says. For example, in some towns and villages, corner properties are prohibited from being horse properties, even if the acreage requirement is met.

Real estate professionals also advise buyers to think about the neighbors. Are there other horse owners nearby? In areas where houses are closer together, barn odors and horse droppings on local roads may be fodder for disputes. "Every community doesn’t open its arms to horses," Baumann says.

Many East End communities are friendly to horse owners. Owners of small horse properties near larger farms often have a gentleman’s agreement. "If they live near a large farm, they can often get permission from the owner to ride the trails," she adds. "It’s all according to where you purchase." Because, after all, most people don’t want to trailer their horse to go for a ride.