Why are equestrians moving to the wine country in herds? Why not?This naturally beautiful setting located in Northern California is the premiere location for wine, woman and horses.Alright, men seem to also love it here.The area provides a wonderful balance of nature, agriculture and entertainment. appeal to

The recent impact numbers for equestrians in Sonoma County alone reached $449 Million as the Annual Total Economic Impact.With 18,000 horses and 30,000 equestrian in Sonoma County alone! The horse industry is the second largest agricultural industry in Sonoma County; grapes being of course number one! For more information on horses in the wine country visit; www.sonoma-horse-council.com or www.bayequest.com .Both sites can help when making the decision to relocate to the area.

For those looking to make that ultimate dream come true of acquiring your own horse property; Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties are the place for you.The opportunities abound for buyers; looking for a small parcel for you and your retired pals or a large property to build a state of the art riding facility, the wine country can do! There is a wide range of properties always available for buyers to set up their horse facilities.

It is amazing what you find when you speak to local horse owners; listening to the stories of how they came to live here.Horses personally brought me to the wine country 16 years ago; found a horse here, bought it, left it here for training and commuted from the East Bay for one year to train on weekends.Fell in love with the area, the rest is history.This was the best decision my husband and I had ever made.The quality of living and the relaxed lifestyle the region offers would appeal to anyone.For those wanting to board their horses, there is an enormous variety of excellent stable and training facilities in all disciplines.There are 14 state, cities, county and regional parks in the area that are horse friendly, and all within an easy trailer ride. From the seashore to the deep forest, trail riders enjoy an abundance of options.Or you can make friends with the grape grower next door and ride the vineyards!

If you are considering keeping horses on your own property and finding the right place for you and your noble charges; it is important that you find just the right realtor to make that well earned dream come true.I met with local horse property specialist Pam Buda of Coldwell Banker to get her input on what buyers can hope to accomplish here.Pam herself is a "victim" of wine countryitis!!

Pam found herself dreaming the "horse property" dream in 1998. After visiting the area over a weekend she was "catapulted into making a choice of lifestyles". Leaving the high powered rat race behind she choose a wonderful property where she could keep her two horses.With the equity she had built up in her East Bay property she found it easy to purchase acreage to suit her needs.Pam saw the need for an experienced horse property owner to help others relocate here with their horses.Pam has basically turned her avocation into the vocation of selling and finding the perfect wine country property for horse owners.In 2003 Pam won the Distinguished Achievement Award from Coldwell Banker; only 5 awards are presented on an annual basis; out of 4,000 possible realtors.

Pam tells us "55-60% of all buyers in the wine country come from other urban markets". "They are all chasing the same dream; and with the equity they build from their current properties they can provide themselves with a better lifestyle on acreage of their own". Pam can usually offer prospective buyers a wide variety of properties to view. "There is plenty of land available to design and build a world class facility or choose one of the many finished properties set up for horses".

Pam recommends that those looking to purchase their own horse property read the book "Light Horsekeeping" by author Cherry Hill. She (Pam) tells us that this is an excellent reference source for those setting up their new properties for their animals.

The costs for property in the Wine Country cover a wide range of options, depending on location you can find great bargains or pay premium.Spending the time with someone who is not only familiar with the area, as Pam is, but is also living the dream can make the process enjoyable and successful.To reach Pam you can call her at 707-527-8300 or pam.buda@camoves.com, www.pambuda.com.