Before you buy a boarding or training facility near Charlotte, confirm that the business is legal at that address, that the land, well, septic system, and driveway can handle the horses and people you plan to bring, and that you can insure and finance it as a business. The listing will not answer those questions. The county planning office, the local health department, NCDOT, your insurance agent, and your lender will.
The ten questions below are built around North Carolina rules. Use them during your due diligence period, and put the answers in writing.
1. Is the property under county zoning, town zoning, or a town's ETJ?
This is the first question because it decides how much zoning applies to a horse business at all. Under G.S. 160D-903, county zoning "may not affect property used for bona fide farm purposes", and the farm definition it relies on, G.S. 106-581.1, includes horses:
"The raising, management, care, and training of horses includes the boarding of horses."
The statute extends the same exemption to a town's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). It does not exempt farms inside town limits. In a town such as Waxhaw, Mooresville, or Huntersville, the town's own zoning rules for stables, lessons, and events apply.
Counties near Charlotte are applying this. In an August 2025 memo proposing UDO amendment #2025-4, Lincoln County planning staff recommended deleting the county's riding stable standards (a 5-acre minimum lot and a 200-foot setback for stalls and riding areas) because state law exempts them:
"Riding Stables are considered an element of a bona-fide farm operation for livestock."
Lincoln County Planning and Inspections, UDO Proposed Amendment #2025-4
Two cautions. First, the exemption does not cover "nonfarm purposes", so a wedding venue, retail tack shop, or large public show may still need zoning approval. Second, every county reads the line a little differently. Ask the zoning administrator for a written determination on your planned uses before your due diligence period ends.
2. What proof of farm status does the property have?
G.S. 160D-903(a1) lists four documents that are sufficient evidence of bona fide farm use: a farm sales tax exemption certificate from the NC Department of Revenue, a property tax listing showing eligibility for present-use value (PUV), the owner's or operator's most recent Schedule F, or a forest management plan.
Ask the seller which of these exist. A boarding barn can qualify for the sales tax certificate. Under G.S. 105-164.13E, a "qualifying farmer" includes "a person who boards horses" with at least $10,000 of farming income in the prior year or averaged over the prior three years. If the land is in PUV, a new owner who wants to keep it must continue the qualifying use, accept liability for deferred taxes, and file within 60 days of the transfer (G.S. 105-277.3 and 105-277.4). Our post on horse farm income in North Carolina covers PUV and taxes in more detail.
3. Which buildings were built under the farm building exemption?
G.S. 143-138(b4) excludes farm buildings outside a town's building-rules jurisdiction from the State Building Code, and it names structures used for "the care, management, boarding, or training of horses and the instruction and training of riders." Inside town building jurisdiction, only greenhouses and therapeutic equine facilities get that exclusion.
That leaves three things to check:
- The house and any apartment. Residences are not farm buildings. Pull the permit history from the county inspections office.
- Spectator seating. Even an exempt farm building is subject to an annual safety inspection of any grandstand or bleachers.
- Offices, lounges, and restrooms. Ask whether they were permitted. Your lender, insurer, or a future buyer may ask the same thing.
4. How many horses can the land actually carry?
Stall count is not capacity. A livestock agent with NC Cooperative Extension's Burke County Center explains that one horse counts as one animal unit, and that it "generally takes 2-3 acres to support one animal unit in hay and pasture", or about 1.5 acres for a very good manager.
Worked example. A 25-acre facility with 15 acres of usable pasture supports roughly 5 to 7 horses on that standard (15 divided by 3, then by 2). If the barn has 20 stalls, the business depends on bought hay, dry lots, and strict rotation. Price that hay into your budget. For a deeper look at grass, read how to judge pasture before you buy.
5. Do the arena and indoor fit your discipline?
The University of Kentucky's publication on indoor arenas lists these suggested dimensions:
| Use | Suggested size (feet) |
|---|---|
| Dressage, small arena (USDF size) | 66 x 132 |
| Dressage, standard arena (USDF size) | 66 x 198 |
| Show ring, standard (USEF suggested) | 120 x 240 |
| Indoor jumping (width x length x height) | 80 x 100 to 130 x 16 |
The same publication recommends at least 16 feet of clear height to the lowest truss or fixture and lighting of 30 to 40 foot candles measured five feet above the floor. Bring a tape measure. Then evaluate the footing with our guide to riding arena footing.
6. Can the septic system and well handle staff and clients?
Septic permits in North Carolina are sized by design daily flow. Under 15A NCAC 18E .0401, a home is designed at 120 gallons per day per bedroom, an office at 12 gallons per employee per 8-hour shift, and an event center at 5 gallons per person for events up to 4 hours with toilets and hand sinks. The improvement permit states the design flow and the maximum number of people served (15A NCAC 18E .0203). A barn bathroom added later for lesson clients may not be covered. Ask the county health department for the permit file.
Water has a similar threshold. G.S. 130A-313 defines a public water system as one with 15 or more service connections or one that "regularly serves 25 or more individuals." A busy lesson program on a private well could approach that line, so ask the state's drinking water staff early.
Also check where things sit. Under 15A NCAC 02C .0107, a new water supply well generally must be at least 100 feet from animal barns and from manure or litter piles.
7. Will the driveway and parking work for trailers?
NCDOT's driveway permit FAQ says anyone who will "change the use, or alter the existing access" onto a state road must obtain a driveway permit. Turning a private farm into a commercial barn can be a change of use. NCDOT says simple requests are typically processed in four weeks or less, while complex ones can take eight weeks or more. Walk the site with a truck and trailer in mind: turning radius, client parking, and room for show-day traffic off the road.
8. Are the equine liability signs and contracts in order?
North Carolina's Equine Activity Liability Act, G.S. Chapter 99E, limits the liability of equine professionals and activity sponsors for the inherent risks of horses. It only works if the warning is posted and printed in contracts. G.S. 99E-3 requires signs with black letters at least three quarters of an inch tall near stables, corrals, or arenas, with this text:
"WARNING Under North Carolina law, an equine activity sponsor or equine professional is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participant in equine activities resulting exclusively from the inherent risks of equine activities. Chapter 99E of the North Carolina General Statutes."
Failing to comply prevents a sponsor or professional from using the immunity. The protection also has exceptions in G.S. 99E-2, including faulty tack the operator knew about, failing to assess whether a rider can safely handle the horse, and willful or wanton conduct. Ask for the current boarding, lesson, and training contracts, and have a North Carolina attorney review them before closing.
9. What insurance will the business need?
US Equestrian says anyone running a business involving horses, such as training, boarding, or lessons, needs commercial equine liability insurance, and it describes two core coverages. Commercial equine liability covers injury or property damage to others and pays defense costs. Care, custody, and control coverage protects you when client horses are hurt or die in your care:
"The intent of care, custody, and control insurance is to provide coverage for individuals who board, train, breed, or are legally responsible for horses they do not own."
US Equestrian notes that this coverage is based on a value per horse, so ask how many client horses the barn holds and what they are worth. Get a quote before your due diligence period ends.
10. How will you finance it?
Conventional mortgages are usually the wrong tool. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide (B2-3-01) lists "agricultural properties, such as farms or ranches" among the properties it does not buy, so a working training facility usually goes to a farm lender, a bank's commercial or agricultural department, or a portfolio lender. USDA's Farm Service Agency says it will guarantee farm ownership loans made by commercial lenders up to $2,343,000, and it lends directly up to $600,000 (October 2025 fact sheet). FSA borrowers must be family farmers who cannot get credit elsewhere at reasonable rates and terms.
Whatever the lender, expect to show the business's records: boarding and training contracts, a rent roll of stalls, expenses, and the seller's Schedule F if one exists. Our horse farm financing guide explains loan types and what lenders ask for.
Put it together
A training facility is a business sitting on a farm, and both halves need checking. Get the zoning answer in writing, match capacity to acreage, confirm septic and water, line up insurance and financing, and read every contract. When you are ready to see what is on the market, start with our equestrian property listings.
If you want help working through these questions on a specific facility, contact us.
Sources
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 160D-903 Agricultural uses
- UNC School of Government, Bona Fide Farms and Development Regulations
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 106-581.1 Agriculture defined
- Lincoln County Planning and Inspections, UDO Proposed Amendment #2025-4
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 105-164.13E Exemption for farmers
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 105-277.3 Agricultural, horticultural, and forestland classifications
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 105-277.4 Agricultural, horticultural, and forestland, application and deferred taxes
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 143-138 North Carolina State Building Code
- NC Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center, Stocking Rate
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, ID-259 Suitable Spaces for Indoor Horse Activities
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings, 15A NCAC 18E .0401 Design Daily Flow
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings, 15A NCAC 18E .0203 Improvement Permit
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 130A-313 Definitions (public water systems)
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings, 15A NCAC 02C .0107 Standards of Construction: Water Supply Wells
- NCDOT, Driveway Permit Frequently Asked Questions
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 99E-2 Liability
- North Carolina General Statutes, G.S. 99E-3 Warning required
- US Equestrian, Commercial General Liability Horse Insurance
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B2-3-01 General Property Eligibility
- USDA Farm Service Agency, Farm Loans Overview fact sheet (October 2025)
