San Dimas, in the San Gabriel Valley foothills of Los Angeles County, regulates horse keeping through its own municipal code rather than through the City of Los Angeles "K" districts or the county's Title 22 rules. For anyone buying, building or breeding on a San Dimas parcel, the rules depend on which zone the property sits in, and the differences between zones are bigger than most buyers expect.
Table of Contents
- Three zones that matter
- How many horses a lot can hold
- Corrals, stables and setbacks
- Commercial use
- Other animals
- Before you buy
Three zones that matter
Horse keeping in San Dimas is governed by Title 18 of the municipal code. Three zones do most of the work.
The P-H Private Horse Overlay Zone (Chapter 18.112) follows a parcel's underlying zone on the official zoning map and adds horse keeping to what that zone already allows. Its stated purpose is to let certain areas of the city keep horses under lighter restrictions than apply elsewhere in the code. Horses, including ponies, may be kept only for the personal use of the family living on the parcel.
The SF-A Single-Family Agriculture Zone (Chapter 18.28) allows horses for breeding or the resident family's personal use.
The A-L Light Agricultural Zone (Chapter 18.64) allows horses for private family use and, uniquely among the three, lets commercial boarding apply for a conditional use permit.
How many horses a lot can hold
The thresholds differ by zone.
- P-H overlay: The minimum lot is 11,000 square feet, which allows two horses, not counting foals under 12 months. A third horse requires 21,000 square feet, and each further horse needs another 7,500 square feet, up to five per acre.
- SF-A and A-L: Two horses require 16,000 square feet, and each further horse needs another 7,500 square feet, up to five. SF-A does not count foals under 12 months, and keeping more than five there requires a conditional use permit.
- Breeders: In the P-H overlay and SF-A, a registered breeder may keep an additional three horses for breeding with a permit. Both chapters also provide for a one-year permit for a stallion owner, which requires the breeder to keep the horses on a parcel of at least one acre and a favorable recommendation from a committee appointed by the city council. In the A-L zone, a registered breeder may keep an additional three horses per acre with a permit, and the code states no acreage minimum or committee review.
Corrals, stables and setbacks
- P-H overlay: Corrals need 300 square feet for the first horse and 200 for each additional one, with fencing at least five feet high. Stables need 60 square feet for the first horse and 36 for each additional one, with a weatherproof roof. Corrals must sit 35 feet from any residence on the same parcel and 80 feet from a residence on an adjacent parcel, in addition to the usual street setbacks.
- SF-A: Each horse needs an open corral of at least 288 square feet and an enclosed, weatherproof stall of at least 144 square feet. Corrals, stalls and stables must be 35 feet from a habitable structure on the same lot, 80 feet from one on an adjacent lot, and 100 feet from any school or hospital building. Corral fences must be at least five feet high, and corrals, stalls and stables must also meet building setbacks from public and private streets. The SF-A setback sentence is awkwardly worded in the code, so confirm the exact distances with Planning.
- A-L: Corral and stable sizes match the P-H overlay, with a 35-foot setback from any residence.
Because the sizing differs from one zone to the next, confirm which zone applies to a parcel before designing a barn.
All three zones also require dust control, such as sprinkling, and prompt removal of manure, mud and refuse to prevent flies. For the wider picture on barn placement and manure management, see our guide "Equestrian Infrastructure in LA: Barn Setbacks, Mare Motels, and Manure Rules."
Commercial use
Commercial horse keeping is where the zones diverge most.
- P-H overlay: The code states that nothing in the chapter permits keeping horses for any commercial purpose.
- SF-A: Commercial horse keeping, including boarding, is prohibited.
- A-L: Horse boarding facilities are a conditional use and need a conditional use permit. The code excludes the rental of horses.
To see operating barns elsewhere in the county, browse our boarding and stables directory.
Pasture grazing is a separate matter in the A-L zone. The code permits grazing cattle or horses on permanent pasture only on lots of at least five acres, at no more than ten animals per acre (not counting unweaned offspring), and at least 35 feet from any residence. The grazing cannot be tied to a dairy, feed yard or sales yard.
Other animals
On parcels of at least 11,000 square feet with no more than one dwelling unit, the P-H and SF-A rules also allow a limited number of other animals for the resident family: one buck and four does among rabbits, up to 25 meat fowl, up to 20 egg-laying hens, one calf under two years old, up to three goats and up to three sheep. The A-L zone has its own, slightly different animal list. San Dimas prohibits keeping roosters and peacocks citywide.
Before you buy
The overlay chapter does not name or map the areas it covers, and San Dimas also has a number of specific plans (Chapters 18.500 and up) that can carry their own standards. Ask the City of San Dimas Planning Division to confirm a parcel's underlying zone, whether a P-H overlay or a specific plan applies, and the horse-keeping standards that go with it, before assuming horses are allowed.
Zoning is only one layer of due diligence. Our "How to Evaluate an L.A. Equestrian Parcel: A Due-Diligence Checklist" covers what else to check, and private covenants can add restrictions on top of the municipal code, as "Beyond Municipal Code: How Private Covenants Affect Equestrian Property in Hidden Hills" shows.
For a local reference point, Frank G. Bonelli Equestrian Center, run by LA County Parks and listed in our directory, is in San Dimas, and you can see more on our San Dimas page. Nearby foothill cities such as La Verne, Glendora and Covina are each their own city with its own municipal code, so the figures above should not be assumed to apply there.