Horses may be maintained and kept within the City, subject to the following restrictions and limitations:

(a)   One (1) Horse may be maintained on a minimum of a (3) three-acre contiguous tract of land. A minimum of two (2) additional acres of land, contiguous with the first tract stated herein, shall be required for each additional horse Harbored. The maximum number of horses allowable on any single Property is (3) three.

(b)   Stallions are expressly prohibited.

(c)   All horses must have a current rabies vaccination.

(d)   All Enclosures where horses are kept shall be secured by gates and fencing that is in good repair and sufficient to prevent the horse from leaving such Enclosure.

(e)   All horses shall receive hoof care to maintain proper hoof-pattern alignment and foot balance.

(f)   Potable water shall be accessible to horses at all times.

(g)   Each horse shall be provided with their own stall, of at least one hundred sixty (160) square feet, with an exterior paddock space.

(h)   No horse or horses shall be maintained on any such acreage such that the portion thereof accessible to the horses is closer than one hundred (100) feet to any residential structure.

(i)    Prior to placement of such horses on the Property pursuant to the foregoing, the Owner or occupant of such Property must obtain written authorization from the Animal Control Officer.  The Animal Control Officer shall verify that sufficient land area does exist to permit the total number of horses for which such authorization is obtained, that adequate provision has been made for compliance with all applicable health and sanitation laws in relation to the keeping of such horses and that adequate fences or other barriers exist in order that the horse or horses can be maintained upon the Property in conformance with the restrictions and limitations of this paragraph. If at any time after such authorization has been issued it is determined by the Animal Control Officer that a problem of health or sanitation exists due to the maintenance of such horses, that a condition of mistreatment of the horses exists, or that the presence or maintenance of such horses is creating a nuisance or that the horses are otherwise being maintained in violation of the restrictions and limitations of this paragraph, then the authorization of the Animal Control Officer shall be withdrawn and the horses shall be removed. Failure to comply with the requirements stated herein shall cause the forfeiture of any and all rights to Harbor the horses. Nothing stated or implied in this paragraph shall exempt Persons from complying with all provisions of this Article and all applicable City, county and state health, sanitation and zoning laws.

(Ord. 4987-19; Ord. 4998-19; Ord. 5038-21)

Any Person who shall be convicted of violating any provisions of this Article shall be deemed guilty of a Class “B” violation and shall be punished by a fine as hereinafter provided or by confinement in the county jail for a period not exceeding one hundred eighty (180) days or by both such fine and confinement. Each day that a violation of this Article occurs shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable hereunder as a separate violation. The fine prescribed above for the first conviction for a violation of a provision of this Article shall be an amount not less than $100 nor more than $200; and for the second conviction for a violation of the same provision shall be an amount not less than $200 nor more than $500; and for the third or any subsequent conviction for a violation of the same provision shall be an amount not less than $500 nor more than $1,000.

(Ord. 4987-19; Ord. 4998-19; Ord. 5038-21)