Point Reyes Light - September 20, 2001
Draconian limits on horses proposed here
By Patrik Jorgensen
Angry members of Marin Horse Council this week were organizing equestrians throughout the county to jam the Planning Commission meeting Monday, Sept. 24, to protest a proposed law that would limit the number of horses in the county.
A proposal drafted by county staff would permit no more than one horse per 12 acres and no more than 10 horses on ranches of any size.
Ellie Rilla of the UC Extension Service called the draconian proposal "a wake-up call for horse owners to get organized," adding that "the proposal certainly needs some tweaking."
However, she also called the proposal a good way to start implementing restrictions on horse owners.
"This is ludicrous," said Connie Berto, a director of the Marin Horse Council. "The number is arbitrary, and [the need for it is] totally unsubstantiated."
Arbitrary restrictions
Brian Crawford of the county Planning Division agreed the numbers are somewhat arbitrary. Both Crawford and Liza Crosse, aide to Supervisor Steve Kinsey, predicted the ordinance will not pass in its present form.
"I expect revisions to the plan before it is passed," Crawford said. He noted the proposal is the result of a 1996 directive from planning commissioners to study what effect horses have on land zoned for agriculture.
The proposal, he added, "is now being considered as part of the updated county zoning plan."
However, the calculations that have led to the proposed limits seem bizarre to equestrians. The Planning Division study estimated that a 1,200-pound horse consumes 1200 pounds of forage per month, which is what one acre of land produces. So, at least in theory, one horse would need 12 acres per year, he said.
Supplements to grass
Crawford of the Planning Division nonetheless acknowledged that, in fact, hay and oats are used to supplement the grass that grows in pastures.
Berto of the Horse Council added, "The champion horses in Kentucky, for instance, often live in a space no larger than 60 feet by 60 feet, and they are being very well cared for."
In the unlikely event the ordinance were to pass, Kinsey’s aide Crosse said the smaller horse ranches that now exist would "most likely" be grandfathered in as "legal non-conforming" uses.
However, if owners decide to obtain more horses, she said, they would need a use permit. Crawford said that "the issue of use permits will be considered on a case-by-case basis," adding that there are no specific criteria for approving a use permit.
Rilla said the proposed ordinance is needed because of the wear and tear caused by horses on agricultural land, and Crosse agreed "their hooves churn up soil. And there’s also the issue of waste."
Zoning in Marin considers only the production of food and fiber as agriculture, and this does not included horses. There is no limit on the amount of cattle, which are considered a form of agriculture, on agriculturally zoned land, Crawford said.
MALT supports proposal
Bob Berner of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust on Wednesday said MALT "supports what the county has proposed." He added, "Non-agricultural use of land zoned for agriculture should come second to agricultural use."
Connie Berto lives in unincorporated Sleepy Hollow where zoning restrictions are handled by the City of San Anselmo, which allows horses on residentially zoned property.
Where she lives, one horse can legally be kept on 15,000 square feet. She personally has two horses on a property that is a little over an acre in size.
Although the proposal so far only concerns horses on land zoned for agriculture, Berto is concerned that "the new regulations will spill over into residential keeping of horses."
Crawford said that the Planning Division is considering an amendment to allow horses on land zoned R-1, where they theoretically are not presently allowed. County staff would like to see restrictions that would allow one horse per 15,000 square feet, he said.
Economic benefit of horses
Marin Horse Council meanwhile is stressing that horses are vital to Marin’s economy. A study by researchers in the Economics Department of Sonoma State determined that "equestrian activities and related support services contribute a production value of nearly $100 million a year to the economy in Marin County," the council has pointed out.
Furthermore, the Horse Council claimed, horses help agriculture since, in most cases, they "are fed hay and grain which is purchased in bulk from agricultural growers."