The key to purchasing the right equipment to help you with the chores around the acreage is knowing what you want the piece of equipment to accomplish for you. Whether it’s moving hay, cleaning stalls, grooming the arena or removing snow there is equipment available to help. But before you head down to the dealership it’s wise to prepare a list of “must-have features.” Here are some new options for equipment, trends for horse owners and a review of the tried and true.

“A horse farm, no matter the size — small, medium or large — always has tons of work to be done and it’s not always just related to horses,” says Mark Emerson, a sales rep for Martin Equipment, a John Deere dealer in Edmonton. “Our John Deere tractors can pretty much address any task you need to accomplish, whether it’s removing snow or rocks, grooming the arena with rakes or making use of post-hole diggers.”

There are over 35 attachments per John Deere tractor, making them very versatile on any acreage. “We have a large variety of buckets, bale spears, pallet forks and rear attachments. The loaders are constructed with improved visibility and better lifting capacity,” says Emerson.

When a stable owner comes to Emerson for advice, he usually asks what the owner wishes to accomplish with the equipment. “If they’re moving bales or snow they’ll want a larger tractor than if they’re looking for something to clean up in the stable,” explains Emerson. “Our 3000 Series works great for stable cleaning in terms of both size and power.” With a range of 32-40 hp these tractors are also effective for cleaning the arena and moving square bales.

The 4000 Series ranges from 42-66 hp and would be appropriate for lifting the heavier round bales, plus it has plenty of attachments such as arena rakes, snow blowers and post-hole diggers. “You can pretty well put any attachment on the 4000 series,” says Emerson. “Another really nice feature is the hydrostatic transmission — most anyone can drive one.” Hydrostatic transmissions make for easy shifting from forward to reverse.

The 5000 Series of tractors is a great match for equestrian customers and are loaded with features you might expect only on premium tractors. Depending on the model, they range from 45 HP to 101 hp and can lift 2,400 to 4,100 lbs. If you can put it in a bucket you’ll have the power to lift it! Put the 5000 Series to work for you for yard care, field work from haying to bundling feed, property maintenance, mowing and putting in fences. Those with cabs feature air conditioning and heating systems.

The 23 hp, XUV 620I utility vehicle, a four-by-four with independent suspension, is available in gasoline or diesel. It’s a nifty item for use on the horse farm with a cargo box that can carry up to 1,000 lbs., complete with a dump lift; it can also haul 1,400 lbs. Also available at Martin are a variety of Frontier arena groomers, in various sizes with great design features to harrow or rake arenas.

John Harvey, sales manager at Calgary Tractorland, the largest Kubota dealer in Alberta, says the dealership has a number of models that are great for horse owners.

“Our Kubota RTV 1140, a ‘utility workhorse,’ came out last year. It’s an open station model that can be converted from a two-to a four-seater in minutes without having to use tools.” It can be used for a variety of chores around the horse farm such as carrying and dumping or for towing.

The Kubota RTV 500 also came out last year. “We call it a solution looking for a problem,” says Harvey. It’s our biggest seller, physically smaller than the RTV 1140, and can be transported in the back of a regular pick-up truck. The RTVs are replacing quads because they are much safer, they have roll-over protection and a hydrostatic transmission, giving them long-term durability. “You can use RTVs for multiple functions such as transporting hay or repairing fences,” he adds.

Since 2001 the Kubota Zeroturn Mower has been available and is ideal for cutting either lawns or trimming around the yard. A new feature for 2010 is the rear discharge mower deck which allows cuttings to be discharged out the back of the mower.

The new B-3200 Kubota Diesel Tractor came out in 2009 and is called “the little tractor that can.” It is a 32 hp, four-wheel drive with a three-range hydrostatic transmission. For horse people, it’s an ideal multi-purpose tractor. You can attach a snow blower, sweeper or a quick attach/detach front end loader. It’s small enough to be used in the stable for cleaning stalls and alleyways. Outdoors, it can be used for a variety of purposes, from carrying fence posts to cleaning up brush and debris, for snow removal or for arena grooming.

The Kubota RTV1100 cab model, described as having “rugged luxury”, is extremely popular with equestrians. “If you’re looking for comfort this is the machine that protects you in the summer and winter from the elements,” explains Harvey. Its 24.8 hp engine with a three-range variable Hydro transmission ensures plenty of acceleration and power. It’s ideal for horse owners to get to and from the stable, for cleaning stalls, moving feed or shavings, transporting grain and mucking out.