Horse properties around Bend (Redmond, Sisters: rent, big house, purchasing)

[haylady1]

Can anyone give me suggestions on the best areas in/around Bend to look for horse properties? What I need is acreage with sufficient good pasture to graze two horses, with a barn on it already and good fencing, plus a nice house, _+/-3500sf. I'd like to be close enough to Bend to make food shopping and participating in cultural activities easy. I'm used to living in the Colorado mountains, pretty isolated, so I don't need to be 5 minutes from downtown. A half hour drive would be fine! But also, because of 35 years in Colorado, I'm used to sunny days. Any ideas? Should I look right around Bend? Should I look further away, like Crooked River?

[BendLocal]

A half hour from Bend is roughly the time it takes to get to Sisters or Redmond if heading North or LaPine if heading south. Heading east 30 minutes puts one somewhere in the eastern oregon desert area. This a big area with a lot of options.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Some of the best horse properties are in Tumalo. Flat land, irrigation rights, good fenced pastures, and for the people, good location and mountain views.

There are some nice horse properties out around Cloverdale Rd, and east of Bend, there are some irrigated properties off of Deschutes Market Rd.

[delta07]

What is your budget? As Oregonwoodsmoke state, Tumalo has some very nice horse properties, but they are some of the most expensive too. The weather here will be similar to Colorado mountains, but not quite as sunny (although sunny for much of this region).

[Larry Caldwell]

Irrigated properties are at a premium in the area. Without irrigation, there is nothing for a horse to eat. It would probably be cheaper to just rent a few acres of pine scrub and feed hay. They would have to feed hay in the winter anyway.

[haylady1]

I appreciate all the suggestions so far. I'll look into the areas suggested. Since you know the area well, can you tell me anything about areas for trail rides? Are they close to Bend, or does one have to haul an hour or more to get to nice riding? And is there an equestrian community in/around Bend? Good instructors? Avid riders?

Many thanks!

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Some of the best horse properties are in Tumalo. Flat land, irrigation rights, good fenced pastures, and for the people, good location and mountain views.

There are some nice horse properties out around Cloverdale Rd, and east of Bend, there are some irrigated properties off of Deschutes Market Rd.

[Snownut]

I am not a horse person and don't live in Bend yet. I did see this article in my Bend research that may help you?

Expert Equestrian Articles - 5 Great Equestrian Communities- #1 Bend - Equitrekking

[dogflower]

Haylady1--

there are many, many horse people in this area, in part because there is so much public land on which to ride. I think you'll find an easy time purchasing property that adjoins public land, and when you choose to trailer your horse, there are hundreds of miles of trails within 45 minutes. I know horse people who moved here simply for the access to trail riding.

Good luck!

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by haylady1

..............can you tell me anything about areas for trail rides? Are they close to Bend, or does one have to haul an hour or more to get to nice riding? ..............

In Tumalo, there is a large tract of BLM land that you can access from the end of Gerking Market Rd. It goes all the way to Eagle Crest. My family rode on the ditch roads, but had an easement because we had a head gate on the road. Check with Tumalo Irrigation to make sure it would be legal for you if you don't have rights to the ditch. It used to be OK, but things change.

There is BLM between Tumalo Rd and Lowe's, that can be accessed near the new Bend Redmond Highway.

We did a lot of trailering up onto the mountains where there are an infinite number of miles of marked trails to ride on (if you have a mountain horse. I wouldn't take a spook up there)

Tumalo to the west of the highway has some nice horse farms and there is National Forest close by, but I don't know where to access it. The Forest Service sells an excellent map of all the trails, and I suggest that you invest in one.

3500 square foot house is a big house for Central Oregon. Besides Tumalo, there are horse farms with large houses on O'Neil Highway, but that isn't 30 minutes from Bend. Very nice farms though.

There are 2 excellent horse properties with large house, big barns, riding arenas, pastures and hay fields on Holmes Rd East of Sisters. There might be something on Goodrich Rd, also east of Sisters. That probably is not within 30 minutes of Bend unless you drive fast and those are large farms, so lots of $$$$. Those are north of the highway across from Cloverdale Rd, where there a are horse farms, but slightly smaller, and slightly closer to Bend.

There is National Forest land all over the place, where you are allowed to ride. There is a lot of BLM where you are allowed to ride. There is National Grassland where you are allowed to ride horses, but no motorized vehicles allowed. There is no problem finding a place to ride.

[haylady1]

Thanks for the excellent article! It's really helpful!!