MILTON, Ga. — After a year-long process pouring over publicly available data, the Milton Equestrian Committee reported more than 200 active horse farms in the city.
Chair Tony Rich said when the committee undertook the challenge to create the census last year, they expected to find around 100 horse farms in Milton’s equestrian community.
Throughout their March 11 presentation to the City Council, committee members stressed the importance of preserving and promoting equestrian farms and communities. They advocated for large lot incentives and agricultural exemptions.
The Equestrian Committee, created in 2016, is tasked with managing equestrian initiatives, educating the owners of horse farms and protecting the city’s rural quality of life.
Members created the farm census after looking at publicly available information, driving around the city and reviewing satellite images.
Vice Chairman Carson Saville said the farm census is important because it provides farm owner contacts for escaped livestock and more data for the Fire-Rescue Department.
Saville said the committee started with the horse farms in its records and known owners of equestrian facilities.
The data collected includes newly built and unfinished horse farms, hobby farms and properties with the potential for equestrian animals.
“We are going to continue to track these farms over the years,” Saville said.
During the presentation, Saville pointed to a recent incident involving a horse found roaming in a residential neighborhood.
“We actually got a call that it had gotten out,” he said. “We looked on this map, found the closest farm… and we were able to get him back home.”
The committee’s annual event “Meet the Neighbors” is set for Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the pasture at Birmingham and Freemanville roads.
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