Tiburon Municipal Code Art. V Regulation of Horses

This article may be known and cited as the horse license ordinance.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

This article is adopted to establish licensing requirements for the keeping of horses and to regulate the keeping and maintenance thereof in order to protect and promote the public health, safety, welfare, comfort and convenience, while permitting residents to keep horses under appropriate conditions. This article is intended to provide a basis for safe and healthful conditions. It is the intent that the regulations not be applied arbitrarily, and for this reason specific provisions are included authorizing exceptions after public hearing before the town council.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

For the purpose of this article, certain words and phrases are defined as follows and certain provisions shall be construed as herein set forth unless it shall be apparent from the context that they have a different meaning.

"Corral" means a fenced area for the confinement of horses. Any fenced area with less than one acre of net land in which any horse is kept shall be deemed to be a corral, but the minimum area in which each horse may be confined shall be six hundred square feet.

"Horse" means any member of the horse family including, but not limited to, donkeys and mules.

Horse, maintenance for private use. "Maintenance for private use horse" means the keeping of horses by residents of the town for private use, not for hire or rental and not primarily for remuneration or sale.

"Horse stable" means a building or portion thereof designed or used for the housing or feeding of horses.

"Pasture" means a fenced plot of ground other than a corral used for the confinement of horses.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

It is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain or cause to be maintained in the town, any horse except in conformance with the provisions of this article and with the provisions of the zoning ordinance. No horse shall be kept without obtaining a permit pursuant to the requirements of this article.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

No horse may be kept or maintained within the town without the owner first obtaining a conditional use permit pursuant to title IV, chapter 16, section 16-4.4 of the Tiburon Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

No horse may be kept or maintained in the town without the owner obtaining a permit under the provisions of this article.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

(a) Compliance required. All horses shall be kept in a corral or stable meeting the requirements of this article, unless kept in a pasture under conditions meeting the requirements of this article.

(b) Construction of pastures, corrals and stables.

(1) All corrals and pastures shall be enclosed by a substantial fence;

(2) Corrals for the enclosure of stallions shall conform to the state statutes and regulations governing safety fencing;

(3) All new stables shall be built in conformance with the building code of the town.

(c) Fire protection. The keeping of horses, and buildings and structures for this purpose, shall conform to the fire protection standards and policies of the town and the fire district.

(d) Drainage. Every parcel of land upon which horses are maintained shall be well drained. The surface of all corrals or enclosures shall be graded so as to prevent the accumulation of storm or casual waters, and so as to prevent erosion of top soil into watercourses or drainage ditches or conduits.

(e) Sanitary conditions. It is declared to be a nuisance, and it is unlawful, to keep any horses on premises which, in the opinion of a health officer, are in an unsanitary or unhealthy condition.

(f) Inspections. All premises for which a permit is issued shall be subject to inspection by town officials, and the holder of any permit shall agree to such inspections as a condition of the granting of such permit.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))

The maintenance of horses for private use, not for hire or rental and not primarily for remuneration or sale, shall be subject to the procedures, regulations and requirements set forth in this section in addition to the general requirements of this article.

Location and area requirements shall be as follows:

(a) The minimum lot area upon which one or two horses may be kept shall be one acre. An additional horse may be kept on each additional one-half acre.

(b) The minimum area in which each horse may be confined shall be six hundred square feet.

(c) The distance of a stable from a neighboring house shall be not less than eighty feet.

(d) The minimum distance of a stable building from any neighboring parcel line or from any street or residence on the same lot, shall be not less than forty feet.

(e) The minimum distance of a pasture or corral from any neighboring parcel line or street parcel line shall be ten feet, or such greater distance as the applicable zoning ordinance provision may provide.

(f) Stable buildings shall be so sited or constructed as to not present an unsightly appearance to neighboring properties.

(Ord. No. 505 N.S., § 2 (part))