The start of a trend?

This winter we learned that we’re going to be joined in New Mexico by at least four fellow trail riders! A colleague and her husband from Texas have already purchased 17 acres in Pie Town, and another couple is looking for land in the area. Another endurance-riding friend, who recently purchased 140 acres in southern Colorado, recently asked me what points and pitfalls were most critical in building a ranch from scratch. Here’s what I shared with her from our experience to date:

• Start with a budget and remember almost everything costs more than you think it will, especially if you are paying a contractor for all or part of the work. DIY can save money but often not time (see “Doing It Ourselves When We Can,” EQUUS 484).

• Make a list of facilities you envision and research options and costs, i.e., stick-built vs. modular/manufactured home? Pole barn vs. structure with poured concrete slab? Barn with stalls or freestanding run-in sheds? Wood or steel?

• Being on site or checking in often is critical during construction, whether it’s building a home, digging a well or putting in fencing. We were exceptionally fortunate to be able to stay in our friend karl’s guesthouse next door all last summer while we worked on the ranch. kenny and I spent many days at the ranch working out of our living quarters, taking breaks to visit the horses and clear cedar and brush so we could better see the surrounding mountains. We identified the general building area on a long, fairly flat ridge almost immediately, but it took time and many walks at different times of the day over several weeks to pinpoint the location of the house, outbuildings, horse sheds and paddocks.

• Dig the well first water is your first and most pivotal concern throughout most of the Southwest. Use all available resources to research before digging— hydrology reports, existing wells in the area and their depth. Have any wells gone dry in the vicinity? We used a dowser to pinpoint the optimal location for our well, and his prediction was spot-on see "Digging Deeper," EQUUS 478).