Equestrian farm loans are a valuable tool, whether you’re a hobby farmer or a commercial rancher. If you want to make your dreams come true of having horses and land for them to run in, United Ag Lending is here to help.
Let’s examine the benefits and walk through the process for attaining a horse farm loan for your property.
Benefits of Getting a Horse Farm Loan
There are several benefits to acquiring financing for your horse farm. It helps relieve your financial burdens and allows you to enjoy the perks of horse ownership.
Purchase Land
If you’re looking to expand your current property or need to purchase new land for the first time, your horse farm loan can help cover that expense.
Customizable Plan
With our selection of customizable lending plans, you can find the loan solution that works for you. No matter what your goals are for your horse farm, our loans can help you realize them.
Explore Your Hobby
If you keep horses as pets or intend your farm to be a hobby farm, you can utilize a farm loan to help you enjoy that hobby.
Grow Your Business
If you keep horses as part of your commercial ranch or as part of a business, you can use one of our loan programs to help with start-up costs.
Live On-Site With Your Horses
If you are interested in owning rural property and living on it with your horses, our rural residential loans can finance that opportunity for you.
Steps to Getting a Loan to Start (Or Sustain) Your Horse Farm
When you first consider a horse farm loan, there’s a process you need to follow to find the loan that fits your needs.
Step 1: It all starts with a plan
The first step to finding your ideal loan is determining the goals for your horse farm. Horses require a lot of space. You’ll need to consider how many horses you plan to keep and the facilities they’ll need.
Our loan programs can incorporate horse farms with indoor and/or outdoor arenas with no limits to the number of stables. It’s also possible to cover rural residential needs if you plan to live on your farm, too.
Once you know the plan for your horse farm, you’re ready to move on to the next steps of securing your horse farm loan.
Step 2: Get your finances in order
At United Ag Lending, our programs do not cover expenses for construction and equipment; they are designed to provide you with your dream real estate. If you come to us to secure financing for your equestrian spaces, we’ll assess your finances through your:
- Credit score
- Income
- Assets
- Debt
Of course, your horse farm mortgage will factor into your overall finances. You’ll need to consider:
- How much you’re able to contribute for a down payment.
- Your desired length of term.
- Your ability to repay and make payments.
- Will you need environmental assessments of land or complete construction?
- Do you need to acquire new equipment?
Step 3: Choose a horse farm loan program
It’s okay if you don’t have all of steps 1 and 2 figured out, but it’s good to have an idea before sitting down with a potential lender.
During your consultation with a United Ag representative, we’ll help you discuss some of the key questions and answers from the first 2 steps of the process. Then, we can walk you through our available loan programs and help you determine which type of loan will best suit your needs.
Questions Your Loan Officer Will Ask During Your Consultation
- What is the purpose of the loan?
- What is the acreage of the land?
- Does the land have a residence?
- What is the land value?
- Does the land have the potential for agricultural use?
- What loan amount do you need?
- How do you plan to use the funds?
- What is your credit score?
Programs That Can Serve as a Horse Farm Loan
We provide customizable lending solutions based on your unique needs. Think of each of our loan programs as a starting point from which we can build a loan suited to your particular equestrian farm needs.
Ranch Loans
If you’re housing livestock like horses, ranch financing might be the first stop on your list when you’re exploring possible loan programs.
Ranches are plots of land that are typically focused on raising livestock, though they may also have some crops. While running a ranch is often a commercial enterprise, that doesn’t always have to be the case.
Visit our guide to ranch financing to learn more.
Hobby Farm
Hobby farm loans are one of our specialties at United Ag. We find that a lot of horse farms fit into the hobby farm category for those who primarily keep their horses as pets.
This program is for people who aren’t looking to get their main income from their farm.
Our hobby farm requirements are:
- Property is agricultural in nature
- Property is a minimum of 5 acres
- 680 minimum credit score
- Land has a pre-existing home on it, serving as your primary or secondary residence
Land Loans
There’s one thing that horses certainly need, and that’s land. If you’re interested in starting from scratch with your equestrian space, we can help you do that!
You can refinance to obtain cash out to improve your facility. As long as your finances, land location, and land use match our program requirements, we can support your plans.
Check out our guide to land loans to learn more.
Our land loan requirements:
- Property is agricultural in nature
- Property is a minimum of 10 acres
- Your credit score is 680+
Rural Residential Loans
The requirements for our rural residential program are the same as for our hobby farm listed above. While our rural residential and hobby farm loan programs are similar, the goals behind them are different.
If you’re interested in a rural lifestyle in addition to having equestrian capabilities, we can build a rural home loan that meets your needs.
Commercial Loans
We also cater to those who run a business on their equestrian farm or ranch. Maybe you’re opening a horse therapy practice or are interested in providing riding lessons. Either way, we’re here to make your dreams a reality.
If you’re looking to expand a current business or start a new one with your horse farm, we’re ready to hear your plans and provide you with commercial loan program options.
Our commercial farm loan requirements:
- Minimum loan amount of $500K
- 680 minimum credit score
- The property is 10+ acres
Step 4: Apply for your loan
When you’ve shopped around and determined the best loan option for your horse farm, our experts will guide you through the application process.
Gather these documents:
- 2 to 3 years of tax returns
- Bank statements
- Asset information (stocks, retirement accounts, etc.)
- Pay stubs
- Driver’s license or government ID
Step 5: Keep us in the loop
We’re not going to disappear the moment you’ve signed your contract. Your loan officer and the United Ag Lending team are here to be resources for you even after you’ve got your horse farm up and running.
Traditional loan programs are often rigid, but ag lending can be more flexible. Working with a United Ag lender means you have someone who understands some of the challenges you might face.
If you ever have questions about your financing or need support, we’re here.
How to Choose the Right Company for Your Horse Farm Loan
These are some of the things you should look for when choosing your agricultural lender.
Your Goals Are Their Goals
It should go without saying, but your lender should care about your goals. Are they excited about your plans for your horse farm loan? Does this feel like a relationship and not just a monetary exchange?
Reputable and Connected to the Community
The agriculture field is very community-oriented, and your lender should reflect that. A reputable lender will have experience with agriculture, buying land, and loan scenarios similar to yours. Read the reviews before choosing your lender.
Transparent Communication
Communication is a key component of the ag lending process. From your first point of contact to closing, a good lender will keep you in the loop about your status and provide clear instructions for each step of the process.
Reach Out to Get Started Planning Your Horse Farm Loan With United AG
As agriculture experts, we provide competent lending solutions for your needs. While we serve many farmers, you don’t have to be a farmer to qualify for our agricultural loans. Whether you want to buy land to house your horses or enjoy the rolling hills backdrop from your wrap-around porch, we’ve got plenty of financing options.
Schedule a consultation to get in touch with one of our loan officers and start the process.
You can also get started with our loan planning tool!
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