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1. What is Wellington’s Equestrian Community?

Wellington has one of the most dynamic equestrian communities in the country and features several venues for a variety of disciplines including polo, dressage, hunter and jumper disciplines as well as non-competitive, family-owned farms. Wellington's Equestrian Preserve Area (EPA) is identified on the Future Use Land Map and is regulated by the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District (EOZD). Wellington's Equestrian Community can be defined by both its location and population. Primarily, the equestrian community is located on 9,000 acres in the western and southern portions of Wellington within the EPA. 

It includes the: 

• Bridle Trails
• Businesses and Parks That Support Horses
• Facilities
• Land
• The People Who Care for Them, Including Owners, Riders, and Caretakers

2. What is the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District?

Wellington's Council created the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District (EOZD) in 2003 in order to regulate development and activities within Wellington's Equestrian Preserve Area (EPA). The EOZD is the zoning regulatory framework that protects the community's character by regulating land uses and development. The purpose and intent of the EOZD regulations are the following:

• Preserve, maintain and enhance Wellington’s EPA as identified in the Comprehensive Plan;
• Preserve, maintain and enhance the equestrian area that is home to equestrian farms, competition venues, and the equestrian lifestyle in Wellington; and
• Identify and encourage land uses and development patterns that are supportive of the equestrian character and lifestyle with in the EPA.

By identifying and encouraging specific uses that are consistent with the character of the equestrian community, Wellington can sustain its equestrian industry.

3. What is Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee?

Wellington's Equestrian Preserve Committee was established by Resolution 2000-36 to advise Wellington's Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board about land use decisions within the Equestrian Preserve Area (EPA). The Committee consists of seven residents who reside in the EPA and are involved in equestrian activities or businesses. The powers and duties of the Equestrian Preserve Committee are to provide advice, upon the request of the Village Council, about the following matters:

• Protecting and preserving land in the EPA as an equestrian
• The safety of riders and animals
• Flooding and drainage in the EPA
• Comprehensive Plan Amendments and Land Development Regulations as they apply to the EPA
• Preparing an annual report for the Village Council recommending the need for any equestrian-related projects in the Capital Improvement Plan
• Making recommendations about the design and/or configuration of equestrian capital projects to the Village Council

Additional Information

For more information about Wellington's Boards and Committees, including the application to serve on an advisory board, visit our Equestrian Preserve Committee page.

4. Where are Wellington’s Bridle Paths?

Since 1999, Wellington has dedicated and maintained more than 100 miles of public and private bridle trails throughout the Village. These pathways include roadway easements, canal right-of-ways, and public and private bridle path easements. The trails are maintained to provide safe riding conditions for both horses and riders. Funding for bridle trail maintenance and improvements, including the installation of trail head and markings, landscaping, trail footing and trail crossings, is budgeted in Wellington's Capital Improvement Plan each year. Through the Equestrian Master Plan process, Staff will identify potential trail expansions and improvements to provide the safest and most secure pathways for horses and riders. 

View Wellington's existing bridle paths in our GIS Map Gallery.

5. What are the requirements to build a Manure Bin?

Wellington requires all livestock waste to be containerized and covered, and these bins must not allow storm water to result in waste discharge into adjacent bodies of water. The size of livestock waste bins is not specified in Wellington's Code of Ordinances. However, approval of the design and location must be obtained prior to construction of the manure bin. Livestock waste shall be placed or stored in the livestock waste storage area and shall not be placed, accepted, stored, or allowed to accumulate on any property except as provided in Section 30.153 of the Code of Ordinances.

6. What are the frequent definitions and equestrian disciplines?

• Barn: A large building on a farm utilized to house livestock, grains, hay and/or farm equipment
• Dressage: An equestrian discipline involving training a horse to perform a precise controlled movement in response to minimal signals from the rider
• Dressage Barn: A barn typically housing less horses than other discipline's barns. They are commonly configured with the stalls lining the outsides and a common isle down the center of the barn. They typically have limited ingress and egress locations and they contain a higher ratio of groom's quarters, tack rooms, and common living area compared to other barns. It has been found that the stall to barn ratio falls in the 20 to 55% range.
• Dressage Wall: A structure utilized in dressage training, consisting of a permanent wall with a mirror located on one side facing a dressage training or practice ring.
• Equestrian Amenities: Low-impact amenities that serve the purposes of equestrian use and training activities, including structural improvements such as fences and dressage walls, and non-structural improvements such as:
  • Banks
  • Ditches
  • Jumps
  • Paddocks
  • Polo Fields
  • Riding Arenas
  • Riding Rings
  • Equestrian amenities do not include livestock waste storage areas, lighting or seating.
• Equestrian Disciplines: There are several areas of equestrian activities that can be broken down into categories. Such disciplines include, but are not limited to, dressage, polo, hunter/jumper, and recreational.
• Equestrian Facility: A commercial facility (public or private) used for horses such as: 
  • A Boarding Stable
  • Combination Equestrian Uses like Polo and Dressage
  • Exhibition Arenas
  • Medical
  • Riding Schools
• Grand Prix: A field used for the highest level of jumping or dressage
• Grass Ring: A ring used for training and exercise
• Groom's Quarters: An area designated as living space for a horse (livestock) groomer. This area is usually located within the barn or is within close proximity to the barn.
• Grooming Stall: A designated stall within a barn that is used for light grooming of an animal. A horse would most likely not be washed at this location.
• Hunter/Jumper: The use of an obstacle course like set up to illustrate the horse and riders skill. Hunter events are geared more towards manner, style, and precision. Jumpers are judged more on the attempted obstacle difficulty and the time in which it takes to complete the course.
• Manure Bin: A structure used to store manure until it is removed from site. A typical manure bin is 12 by 12 or 12 by 14. Depending on how many horses, there may be several manure bins to accommodate the number of horses on a site.
• Paddock: An enclosed field varying in size usually near a house or stable for horses to graze.
• Parcel Control Number (PCN): A unique 17-digit number assigned to each parcel of land and each living unit within a condominium or cooperative. The PCN is used to locate and identify the parcel or unit.
• Pole Barn: A simple structure constructed of support poles which may or may not have siding. These small barns are typically used as a temporary shade area for horses or to house equipment and are not used for washing or caring for an animal.
• Polo Barn: A barn typically housing more horses than the other disciplines like dressage and hunter/jumper. They are commonly configured with back to back stalls in the central area of the barn with individual exits from each stall for quick movement of the horse. It has been found that the stall to barn ratio falls in the 55 to 90% range.
• Polo: Team game played on horseback using long-handled mallets to drive a wooden ball into a goal
• Recreational Use: This term is used to define the small single family homes with a barn and a limited amount of livestock; typically not geared towards one discipline or another
• Sand Ring: A ring used for exercising and training a horse
• Section: This is in reference to the section of land based on the Parcel Control Number (PCN). Each section within a township and range is a square mile (640 acres).
• Stall: A compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn
• Stick and Ball: A small scale polo game usually played in preparation or as practice for a polo match. Stick and Ball is played on a field approximately half the size of a standard polo field
• Subarea A: Generally consisting of Section 2, Township>44S, Range 41E and Section 35, Township>43S, Range 41E, including the area described as "Palm Beach Little Ranches" and "Palm Beach Little Ranches East" Maximum Density: 0.2 DU per Acre/Minimum Lot Size: 5 Acres
• Subarea B: Generally consisting of those portions of the Wellington PUD located in Section 8 and 17, Township>44S, Range 41E, including the developments known as Saddle Trail Park and Paddock Park No. 2 and Parcel "H", Greenview Shores No. 2 of Wellington (PUD), according to the Plat thereof, as recorded in Plat Book 31, Page 120 through 136, of the Public Records of Palm Beach County, Florida. Maximum Density: 0.5 DU per Acre/Minimum Lot Size: 1 Acre (No more then 4 stalls per acre)
• Subarea C: Generally consisting of Section 19, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, and 34, Township>44S, Range 41E, and Section 25, Township>44S Range 40E, located south of Lake Worth Road and west of 120th Avenue, including all of Palm Beach Point and that portion of the Orange Point PUD located in Section 34. Maximum Density: 0.1 DU per Acre/Minimum Lot Size: 10 Acres
• Subarea D: Generally consisting of portions of Section 15 and 16 and Sections 20, 21, and 22, Township>44S, Range 41E, including the Wellington Country Place PUD and the Equestrian Club PUD. Maximum Density: 0.5 DU per Acre/Minimum Lot Size: 2 Acres
• Tack Room: A room in or near stables that is used for storing saddles, harnesses, and other dressings
• Wash Stall: A stall or area that is designated for washing livestock and can be located inside a barn or on the outside in close proximity to the barn