crazy horsey lady

Dear All
We have been to see an equine property with a view to renting. We have ideas of a British run riding centre offering lessons, training towards exams, trekking and livery services for those with horses living in the area. I am a bit unsure as I dont know what the equine community is like - is there a demand from those living in the country or will it be a tourist only business, and therefore no business in the winter. We love the area and it would be a case of me and the kids coming over to start the business up and then hubby joining us later - any advice greatly appreciated.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Casa Santo Estevo

If you want some advice about horses in the area I would suggest you talk to this horse rescue centre which is around 30km from you.
It is run by some Dutch, but they will speak English.
Los Caballos Luna FB page in English
Los Caballos Luna FB page in Spanish

flotsum

Try visiting the website for Federacion Hipica Espanol each region has its own section and you can get information about the rules for the region and an idea of how many businesses there are in your area.

Domino

you mean you haven't done any background but are considering a rental property and then you ask on an expat forum what they think ??

why is the property up for rent ??
can you afford it if you have no customers ??
are the kids of school age ?? If so don't count on them for much help !!

it is unlikely to be a tourist business, although there may be some. I know a equine place where most of the customers are expats + kids and local Spanish.

can you count on the necessary routes and accesses for trekking ??

many questions - whatever you do don't spend a penny (or € cent) until you are positive it will work

crazy horsey lady

Domino - I find your reply insulting to say the least. I was just looking for some helpful feedback - not an attack on my business credentials.

The rest of you thanks for your comments.

Rosemary

I have no knowledge at all about the area that you mention but I live in a small Spanish (non tourist) town of 3300 people so the riding stables on the outskirts serves this community and possibly a few of the other small towns in the vicinity. A couple of the teenagers that I know go to it for lessons and they enter competitions in the province, they do not have their own horses so use the ones owned by the stables. My understanding is that these stables have been there for many years, they are not upmarket, they are about community rather than money so from what I can gather they are not making a fortune but they are managing to keep going.

So in answer to your question it is not just a touristy thing, however if you are looking to encourage Spanish people to take part you will need to speak the language.

Good luck with your research.

Rosemary

mikelincs

I feel a lot of his comments should have been of help, he suggested finding out why the property was for sale, what it's turnover was, and I would add to that use an independent lawyer, not one suggested by the seller of the agent, also have the books checked by an independent gestor. It's also extremely important to check that there are corect licenses for the house AND the stables as it's not unknown for some businesses to be there for years, illegally, because the owner is a relative, friend, drinking buddy of the mayor or others on the council, and they have turned a blind eye to any illegalities, but if the property changes hand those eyes will suddenly open. You only have to have watched the 'cowboy builders abroad' on TV last week to show what can go horribly wrong if you don't use 'due dilligence' and chack everything, and use independent people to do it. There are millions of illegal properties in Spain, and they are not just on the Costas. Bureaucratic corruption is/was rife.

crazy horsey lady

Thanks for all the tips - we are pleased what we have done is what you are all suggesting, and the local organisations have been most useful.
here's to an exciting future.

gill556

I would just like to say that I live near this area and know of 5 different establishments that do horse riding lessons etc. it might be a sign that it is a very popular pastime or maybe they all struggle as most of them have sidelines. One a restaurant, another quad biking, canoeing etc. and the one at Dolores takes in students for Spanish cookery courses.

Domino

I will not apologise as I have said nor done anything to apologise for.
And I have not made any attack on your business credentials.

However, I have asked questions that you should be asking, as pointed out by Mike.
And the question as to why it is available to rent (instead of outright purchase) is also addressed by gill, in that there are already a number of similar businesses in the area. There are only a small number of people who want to go horse riding, one near to me does most of its business at weekends when the parents bring them for a few hours whilst they do the shopping. There is also a small number who help out with the horses, mucking out and feeding etc. But these all fluctuate especially when money is tight, when many are Brits who are seriously considering going back to the UK.

I have started a business in the UK using a mentor and been through all the BP and justifications for banks etc and also acted as mentor for a couple of start-ups. So I would ask the questions (and many more) of anyone, so it isn't personal. I would rather you feel upset at my questions and go out there and make a roaring success of it than suddenly disappear from this forum with your tail between your legs.

if you haven't already done so you may wish to read http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=831635
Come to Spain with £1million, leave with nothing.

kind regards

HeikeundAlan

Hola
have to agree with Domino,
much better get the real low down...........
before you make a big move like that,
Good Luck hope everything dopes work out for you
Its very nice round here
best wishes

Sue

Wishing you the best of luck with your adventure. I started horse riding lessons myself a few years ago, (it was one of those things on my bucket list) but have not been able to do any riding the last 18 months and I miss it.

Welcome to the Spain forum. Peeps are really great here at sharing tips, even if the odd person could do with working on the delivery of that information . But stick around and you will see that BE members are a wealth of information, and they help each other a lot.

me me

Apart from the obvious list of things to look out for, I would also suggest that you gave the weather aspect a thought.

What can be a lovely ride out on a summer day in the Uk, can turn into hell on horseback, under the Spanish sun.

Not everyone does great in the heat when leading a relaxed lifestyle, and riding or doing other outdoor activities can be far from pleasant.

stuboy

I remember a TV programme a while back that followed the trial and tribulations of ex-pats settling into new lives.

One was an equine business in Andalucía, already set up of a sort. But what followed was a bit nightmarish.

Firstly the premises were set in a valley and when the winter rains came the access road was impassable. There were major problems with planning applications for changes and then in the summer the water went off for days at a time. The husband had to return to the UK to earn some money to keep the dream alive.

Maybe these are things you may wish to add to your research list