Acreage, pasture and paperwork for horse owners

Buying Horse Property in Coffee County, TN

Plenty of buyers come to Manchester and Coffee County hoping for a home with room for horses. A tract with pasture, a barn and a riding ring can be a wonderful place to live, but horse property raises questions a typical home purchase does not: whether horses are allowed at all, how many acres the horses really need, what fencing works, whether a barn needs a permit and how greenbelt, Coggins tests and liability law fit in.

This guide walks through each question with official sources. I describe the rules in general terms rather than naming listings or subdivisions, because the answers depend on the exact parcel. This is general information, not legal, tax or veterinary advice.

Step 1: Inside the city or out in the county?

The first question is which rules apply to the address.

• Inside Manchester city limits. The city code says no person shall keep horses, mules, cattle or other livestock within 1,000 feet of any residence, place of business or public street without a permit from the health officer. It also makes it unlawful to let these animals run at large in any street, alley or unenclosed lot, and it requires any barn, corral, pen or enclosure to be kept clean and sanitary. In July 2024, local station KMCH reported that the City Council granted a special exception allowing livestock, including ponies and a horse, on a tract of just over 21 acres inside the city. In short, horses in town take approval, so ask the city before you write an offer.
• Other cities. If the property is inside Tullahoma or another town, ask that city about its animal and zoning rules. I have not covered them here.
• Unincorporated Coffee County. Outside city limits, the Coffee County Codes Compliance office at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 2, (931) 723 4841, handles zoning, building permits and inspections. Much of the rural county is zoned A 1, the Agricultural Forestry district.

Step 2: Check the zoning and lot rules

The county's published bulk regulations say the minimum lot size in the A 1 district is 5 acres and that A 1 building setbacks are 50 feet from all property lines. The same table notes that setbacks do not apply to agricultural buildings and structures, so ask the county how that applies to a barn or run in shed on the tract you like.

I could not find the full list of uses allowed in each county zoning district online. If you plan anything beyond keeping your own horses, such as boarding other people's horses, giving lessons or hosting events, ask Codes Compliance whether that use is allowed on the parcel and whether it needs a special exception. The office lists applications for special exceptions and variances on its page.

Step 3: How many acres do horses need?

UT Extension's Pastures for Horses publication says the first question is whether the land is a pasture or an exercise area. For a pasture to supply most of a horse's diet, it says approximately two to three acres are needed for each mature horse of about 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. If acreage is limited, the pasture may serve mostly for exercise, and UT Extension says it then needs management to prevent weeds, manure buildup and mud.

The UT Horse program's newsletter adds these pasture tips:

• Keep a stocking rate of at least 2 acres per horse to help prevent weeds.
• Do not graze pastures below 3 inches.
• Do not graze newly planted pastures until the grass is at least 6 inches tall.
• Soil test every three years and apply lime and fertilizer according to the results.

Count the usable pasture, not the total acreage. Woods, steep ground, the house site, the septic area and any flood prone low spots all reduce what the horses can graze.

Step 4: Know what is growing in the pasture

UT Extension says tall fescue is the main grass in Tennessee pastures and a persistent, good quality forage for horses. It also says the common Kentucky 31 variety contains a fungal endophyte that causes problems in pregnant mares, including extended gestation, difficult births and poor milk production. Its guidance is to move mares off endophyte infected fescue pasture and hay for the two months before foaling, and to call a veterinarian if a mare has grazed it in that window.

You cannot tell whether fescue is infected by looking at it. UT Extension says the University of Tennessee Soil, Plant and Pest Center can test for the endophyte and run soil tests, and that you can start with your local Extension office. In Coffee County, that is the Coffee County Extension Office at 1331 McArthur Street in Manchester, (931) 723 5141. If you plan to breed mares, ask about this before you close.

Step 5: Fences and Tennessee's livestock at large law

Tennessee law defines livestock to include all equine, and TCA 44 8 401 makes it unlawful for an owner to willfully allow livestock to run at large. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor. The Tennessee Supreme Court, in Overbey v. Poteat (1960), described the owner of escaping animals as liable where the owner knowingly or negligently permits their escape. Good fences protect your horses, your neighbors and drivers on the road.

UT Extension's fence planning guide gives horse specific advice:

• Visibility matters in horse fencing.
• Avoid barbed wire, because horses can tear their hide on the barbs.
• High tensile wire can entangle horses, though making it more visible lowers the risk.
• Board fences are ideal for horses, and woven wire works well, especially with a single board at the top so horses can see it.
• Locate the property line properly before you build a boundary fence.

When you tour a property, walk the whole fence line. Look for barbed wire, loose or broken boards, low wire, gaps at gates and spots where a fence crosses a creek or wash.

Step 6: Barns, run in sheds and permits

Tennessee law limits county building permits for agricultural buildings. Under TCA 13 7 114, the county zoning law does not authorize requiring building permits for buildings on land devoted to agricultural uses when the building is incidental to the agricultural enterprise, except on agricultural land next to or near state federal aid highways, public airports or public parks. The same section says a county in the National Flood Insurance Program must still regulate buildings and development in the mapped 100 year floodplain. State law also exempts nonresidential agricultural buildings from the statewide building construction safety standards in TCA 68 120 101.

Whether a particular barn counts as agricultural depends on the facts, so ask Codes Compliance before you buy if you plan to build one. A home is different: Coffee County's inspection sheet says permits are valid for 180 days and a residence shall not be occupied without a certificate of occupancy. If a barn includes living space, ask how the county will treat it. Also ask the seller for permits on any existing barn, apartment or arena.

Step 7: Water, wells and septic

• Water for the horses. Find out whether the barn and paddocks have water lines and frost protection, or whether water is carried from the house. Ask whether the property uses public water or a private well. The City of Manchester Water and Sewer Department serves the city and some areas of the county.
• Well siting. TDEC's minimum distances for new wells include 100 feet from animal pens and feed lots and 50 feet from septic tanks and drain fields. UT Extension recommends keeping livestock more than 150 feet from a well, and TDEC strongly recommends testing well water for bacteria at least once a year. My well water guide explains testing and records.
• Septic. Search the TDEC septic permit records for the address. TDEC says a Septic System Modification Permit is required for construction that will impact an existing system, and its examples include building a shop or barn. Find the tank and drain field before you plan a new barn, arena or paddock, and read my septic systems guide.
• Land without a home yet. If you plan to build, TDEC must evaluate the soil before it issues a septic permit. Make the purchase contingent on a satisfactory soil evaluation. My land buying guide covers the steps.

Step 8: Flood zones, survey and access

• Flood zone. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and check the whole parcel, including the barn site, paddocks and driveway. My flood zones guide walks through the steps.
• Survey. A boundary survey by a Tennessee registered land surveyor shows where the lines run, which matters before you replace or add fencing. The Coffee County Register of Deeds records plats and surveys but does not do title searches, so ask a title company or real estate attorney about easements and recorded restrictions.
• Trailer access. Drive the road and driveway with a truck and trailer in mind. Check gate widths, turning room near the barn and how the driveway holds up after rain.
• Sinkholes. Tennessee law requires a seller to disclose a known sinkhole, so ask about any on the pasture.

Step 9: Greenbelt and property taxes

Larger tracts may be enrolled in greenbelt, which values qualifying land by its present use. Agricultural land must be at least 15 acres and actively engaged in producing or growing agricultural products. The State Board of Equalization Greenbelt Manual says land cannot qualify just because an owner intends to use it that way, and its list of common activities includes hay, grasses, cattle, sheep and goats. It does not name horses. Its examples also show that land used mostly for family recreation does not qualify.

So if you plan to keep horses on greenbelt land, ask the Coffee County Assessor of Property, (931) 723 5126, how your planned use will be classified. When land sells, the new owner must file a new application, due by March 15, to keep the classification. If the land leaves the program, rollback taxes for the prior three years can be due, and state law makes the seller liable for rollback triggered by the sale unless the contract says otherwise. Put the answer in writing. My greenbelt guide explains the rules.

Step 10: Coggins tests and moving horses

• Buying or selling a horse. Tennessee Department of Agriculture rules require proof that each horse sold has tested negative on an official Equine Infectious Anemia test, often called a Coggins test, within 12 months before the sale. Foals under six months with an EIA negative dam are excepted.
• Boarding. If horses from more than one owner are kept together at a boarding, breeding or training stable or pasture, the rules require proof of a negative EIA test within the past 12 months for each horse, and the owner or manager of the premises must keep that proof available for inspection. That matters if you plan to take in boarders.
• Moving horses from another state. The department's import page says horses entering Tennessee need an Equine Interstate Event Permit or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, valid for 30 days, plus a negative official EIA test within 12 months before entry. Check the page for current orders and call the department's animal health office at (615) 837 5120 with questions.

Step 11: The Tennessee equine liability law

Tennessee's Equine Activities Liability law, TCA 44 20, says a sponsor, an equine professional or any other person is not liable for injury to or death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities. The law defines those risks to include a horse's tendency to behave in ways that can hurt people, its unpredictable reaction to sounds, sudden movements and unfamiliar objects, surface and subsurface conditions, collisions and a participant's own negligence. Equine activities include boarding, training, teaching and riding another person's horse.

The protection has limits. Under TCA 44 20 104, it does not apply when a person provided tack they knew or should have known was faulty, failed to make reasonable efforts to judge a rider's ability, acted with willful or wanton disregard for safety, or intentionally caused injury. It also does not apply when someone who owns or controls the land or facilities knew of a dangerous latent condition and did not conspicuously post warning signs. TCA 44 20 105 requires equine professionals, meaning people paid to give instruction or rent horses or tack, to post a specific warning notice on signs near stables, corrals or arenas they control, in black letters at least one inch high, and to include it in written contracts.

If you plan to give lessons, board horses or host riders, talk with a Tennessee attorney and an insurance agent before you close.

What to ask the seller

Ask for answers in writing, and keep every question about the property itself:

• Where do the property lines run, and is there a recent survey?
• What type of fencing is on each pasture, and when was it last repaired?
• Are there permits for the barn, any apartment, arena or other outbuildings?
• Where are the septic tank, drain field and well, and how is water supplied to the barn?
• Is the land in greenbelt, and who pays any rollback taxes?
• Has any part of the pasture or barn area flooded or stayed wet, and is any of it in a mapped flood zone?
• Does the seller know of any sinkholes?
• Inside city limits, is there a current permit or council approval to keep horses?

Fair housing laws protect buyers and sellers, and I keep every conversation about the land, the buildings and the paperwork.

Keep reading:

• Buying land in Coffee County
• Tennessee greenbelt property tax
• Septic systems when buying a home
• Buying a home with a well
• Flood zones and flood insurance in Manchester
• Printable home buyer checklist
• All Manchester guides

Looking for horse property around Manchester?

I help buyers sort through acreage across Coffee County, ask the zoning and permit questions early and line up surveys, septic and well checks before deadlines pass. Call or text me at (615) 497 1658, or request my buyer guide below and tell me how many horses you plan to keep.

Common questions

Matt Sargent is a Tennessee licensed affiliate broker with Keller Williams who helps buyers and sellers in Manchester and Coffee County. Call (615) 497 1658 or send a message.