The U.S. Equestrian Federation President and gold-medal winning Olympian David O’Connor said the largest threat to the horse industry is loss of land for horse-related activities. Ask anyone who rides, especially those from the other side of the pond, whether horses require a significant amount of land and whether those types of lands are decreasing.
It is estimated that 36 million acres are 
needed to produce food for the estimated 9 million horses in the United States, let alone land for training, riding and stabling our equine partners. There are significant financial benefits to donating a conservation easement on one’s land. We have had significant amounts of land donated to conservation easements in the South Denver Metro Area, including the recent addition of the J.A. Ranch to the Douglas Land Conservancy’s trust. Other memorable easements in Douglas County include the Abbe Ranch, Cherokee Ranch, the Greenland Ranch, and Dawson Butte (one of the few properties where the owners of the land allowed the conservation trust to open the land up to public use, including County maintenance of riding trails and jumps). Most conservation easements don’t open one’s land to any public use, they just provide for the land to remain undeveloped, or of limited development for future generations.
There are federal and state estate tax credits, in addition to significant federal income tax benefits. There also may be state property tax and income tax benefits, depending on the state. To consult knowledgeable attorneys on conservation easements or land trusts, please contact our lawyers at Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C.
Written by Marc Patoile 303-688-3045
View our Equine Law practice page.
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Marc Patoile, a partner at Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., has been listed in the North American Directory of Equine Law Practitioners
