A local family’s request to keep two miniature horses on their residential property will head to the Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission for review next week.
Stefan and Cathy Mehrl have filed an application for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to house two miniature horses for personal, non-commercial use on their property.
The 1.54-acre parcel, located at 12721 SW 73rd Street in the Rolling Hills Unit 3 subdivision, currently holds a Single-Family Dwelling (R-1) zoning classification and a Rural Land (RL) future land use designation.
Because the property is zoned R-1, the owners are required by the county’s Land Development Code to obtain a Special Use Permit to keep the animals on the premises. The site is located outside of both the Urban Growth Boundary and the Farmland Preservation Area, but sits within the county’s Secondary Springs Protection Overlay Zone.
To accommodate the horses, the Mehrls’ conceptual site plan outlines a 150-by-180-foot fenced pasture, totaling 27,000 square feet.
The enclosure is proposed to feature a 20-foot by 30-foot accessory agricultural barn alongside a 20-foot by 60-foot dry paddock.
In a statement submitted to the county alongside the application, Mrs. Mehrl identified the two miniature horses that will reside on the property as “Frisky” and “Poppins.”
According to Mrs. Mehrl, Frisky is 15 years old and weighs 243 pounds, while Poppins is 17 years old and weighs 195 pounds. She noted that both are considered senior horses, which, with proper care, can live to be 30 to 35 years old.
While Mehrl stated she does not anticipate adding any more horses, she noted she “would like the option to have 4 as long as it does not decrease the chances of approval.”
In detailing their care regimen, Mehrl explained that miniature horses are highly susceptible to Equine Metabolic Syndrome, making careful feeding and grazing crucial. She stated that the two horses will receive a diet of hay that is “soaked for 30 minutes to remove starches and sugars,” alongside a small amount of “calorie-dense senior feed.”
To prevent flies and pests, the family will utilize integrated pest management, including “fly bait buckets,” a feed additive that prevents fly eggs from maturing in manure, and monthly releases of “fly predators” (Muscidifurax raptorellus) during muggy months.
County staff has reviewed the proposal and recommends that the commission approve the permit, provided the owners adhere to several strict conditions to protect neighboring properties and mitigate environmental impacts. The staff report notes that the site’s sandy Candler soil drains quickly and possesses low natural fertility, meaning the two horses may rapidly consume the available grass.
If the permit is approved, the applicants must adhere to several county-recommended conditions. The permit will authorize a maximum of two miniature horses on the property at any time. Because of the poor soil conditions, the owners must ensure the horses are offered free-choice quality hay at all times if the pasture grass is depleted.
To manage waste effectively, manure cannot be stored in open piles and must be kept in sealed, leak-resistant containers. These storage containers must be located within the pasture area and set back at least 60 feet from the side property lines and 100 feet from the rear property line. Furthermore, manure must be collected from the pasture at least twice per week.
The county also requires the pasture to be enclosed by a two-, three-, or four-board fence with no-climb wire. Finally, the SUP runs exclusively with the property owners and does not run with the land, meaning the permit will automatically terminate if the property is sold or transferred.
At the time of the staff report’s publication, county officials had not received any formal letters of opposition or support regarding the application.
The Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission will review the application and make its advisory recommendation during its meeting on Wednesday, May 27, at 5:30 p.m. The proposal will then be forwarded to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners for a final ruling, which is currently scheduled for June 16, at 2:00 p.m.