Country Homes With Two Kinds of Parking SUBDIVISIONS specifically tailored to horse owners have never thrived in the Northeast, but one upstate New York landowner believes he will succeed with his development where others have failed. These horsy-by-design communities cater to the needs of both homeowners and their steeds. Models vary: homeowners either own a large stable collectively or buy a parcel with a small barn. Communally owned amenities often include trails and arenas. Especially common in states like Florida and Texas, equestrian subdivisions have yet to prove themselves in this area, conceded Michael Warren, who is nevertheless creating one, the 19-home Duchess Farm, in Marbletown. "The land is so expensive, and developers are not typically equestrian people," said Mr. Warren, whose family since 1953 has owned the 100 acres he is subdividing into 19 parcels. He hopes his eventual buyers will be drawn by the state-of-the-art equestrian center that the family already runs on the land - as well as trails, meadows and ponds. Sales have been slow since the first few parcels went on the market last year, and Mr. Warren said he thought the market downturn was a factor. "Had we gone to market earlier," he said, "we probably could have sold it out by now." Still, he points out that unlike many developers, his family is in it for the long haul. "Developers want to develop and move on," he said. Often, there are equestrian communities advertised, but they haven't built the equestrian part yet - sometimes, they never do. For example, at the 300-acre Greenleaf Farms in Newtown, Conn., cash-starved developers sold out to a large development company, which sold the stable and 43 acres to a private buyer, said Sharon Wimberly, an agent with Keller Williams Realty of Ridgefield, Conn., and business manager of Brigadoon Show Stables in North Salem, N.Y. "Developers sometimes do these to get approval by the town," she said, "because it's somewhat appeasing to people who don't want to see the entire area subdivided. Then, developers find out they don't know a thing about the horse world. According to Ms. Wimberly, buyers seeking subdivision houses for $600,000 to $900,000 typically don't have the money to keep horses - and those who do, don't want to live in subdivisions. "It's a very small market," she said. Mr. Warren, whose family once raised cattle in this Ulster County region popular with second-home owners, initially wanted to sell the land to developers, to enable his 83-year-old father to retire. When the town imposed a temporary building moratorium to slow land development, the developers lost interest. Mr. Warren later decided to subdivide it himself, creating a permanent home and livelihood for his family. He feels the family's operation of the equestrian center gives the project an advantage that others have lacked. "I've visited many equestrian subdivisions," Mr. Warren said, "and I've found the ones that don't work are where the residents are in charge of the equestrian center. Every place I visited, the subdivision was lucky to have 20 percent of residents who actually had horses. The equestrian center cost more than $1 million to build; the family owns the trails and open spaces under a legal easement that protects them in perpetuity. Homeowner fees are $25 a month, Mr. Warren said, and use of the trails is free. However, if homeowners do want to board a horse, they will pay for that privilege. The plan for building the homes at Duchess Farm envisions relatively small parcels, 1.5 to 2.5 acres each, though parcels could ultimately be bought and combined. Mr. Warren was influenced by Randall Arendt, a land-use planner and the author of "Designing Open Space Subdivisions," who walked the property with him. Smaller lots leave as much as 75 percent of the subdivision as open space, Mr. Warren said. "We tried to provide green space around you, so it feels like it's huge," he said. But you don't have to mow it, and you're not taxed on it. Mr. Warren encourages classic designs with open-space floor plans and porches. His builder has many plans, but buyers can bring in their own. He is doing the subdivision in phases, now marketing about 9 of the 19 lots. The property remains home to a working farm; the Warrens harvest organic hay. There is also a "green" composting program, minimizing odors and flies from manure by spreading it out to dry. Nearby, the villages of High Falls and Stone Ridge offer a private school, public schools, a dozen restaurants, a live theater, an organic market, a food co-op and other amenities. Since Duchess Farm went on the market a year and a half ago, there have been two sales. Recently, one city family bought Mr. Warren's spec home, a 2,100-square-foot "farmhouse" on 1.5 acres for $480,000. Someone else bought a 1.5-acre lot for $110,000 as an investment. Mr. Warren said he had had a lot of interest from retirees and second-home seekers, but few actual takers. Mary Collins, of Mary Collins Real Estate in Marbletown, has the listing and is marketing lots for $89,000 to about $159,000, depending on the views (all the parcels have protected views of the Catskills and Shawangunks). "There's a young woman from the city who wants to build a modest house and bring her horse with her," she said. It will be a weekend home, so she can go to the city and know that her horse will be cared for while she's gone. Mr. Warren says he needs to sell only a few more lots to pay down most of the debt on the equestrian center. Then he can take his time. And, with equestrian subdivisions, time may be a good thing, Ms. Wimberly said. "Down the road in 50 years, when we have no more land," she said, "this subdivision might be very desirable."