Written by Polly Leach-Lychee, Broker/Owner
You have always dreamed about living in Colorado, and having a horse or 2 in your back yard. You went to a camp as a kid, or you got to ride some neighbor’s horses in the country.
Wilson Mesa Horses
A love of horses qualifies you. But do yourself and the horse with which you end up a favor. There is a saying that says “green and green, make black & blue”. That may most likely keep you from enjoying to the full extent the wonderful companion that an equine can be.
Yes, go ahead and look for that perfect ranch home that will fulfill your dreams, including pastoral land for your horses, but take your time in getting your new steeds.
Before you even start looking at horses, look into some training for yourself. Horsemanship has changed dramatically in the last 20 years (Thank Goodness) good basics can be learned from national groups such as Pat Parelli, -locally in Pagosa Springs, Buck Brenneman, John Lyons or the like. Close by in Montrose, Maree McAteer, is one of the best locally (970 948-3219) from whom to get hands on help.
One of the best areas around Telluride for horses is Wilson Mesa. It is only 20-30 minutes to downtown Telluride, with beautiful mesa, and trail riding into the National Forest. The properties prices vary from $475,000 for a cute 2 bedroom on 13 acres, to mega-ranches in the $10,000,000 plus range, and everything in between. There is one place with an indoor area for winter keep, but most bring their horses down to a lower altitude, and lighten their horse activities during snow times. This is also the case on Hastings Mesa, and Turkey Creek Mesa. Yes, horses are allowed in the Ski Ranches, but the parcels are small. If you want a place there, look for something with sun and some meadows. A steep, and darker alpine lot is not good for long stays for a horse.
The Valley Floor would be prefect, in fact there used to be a racetrack there in the 1890’s, traces of which can be seen from the Jud Weibe Trail, but that is a topic for later discussion.