What Pinetop-Lakeside Buyers Get Wrong About Horses
Pinetop-Lakeside is the first community most people think of when they hear "White Mountains real estate." It is well-known, well-serviced, and genuinely beautiful. It is also the worst community in the region for buyers who plan to keep horses on their own property — and most buyers do not find that out until they have already spent time and money looking there. This page lays out exactly what the restrictions are, where they come from, and why they eliminate the majority of Pinetop-Lakeside listings for horse buyers.
Layer 1: CC&Rs That Prohibit Horses Entirely
Many of the most established and desirable neighborhoods in Pinetop-Lakeside are governed by homeowner associations and property owner associations whose recorded CC&Rs explicitly prohibit horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and all livestock. The Pinetop Community Association — which governs a substantial portion of the Pinetop area — includes a rule stating that no horses or other livestock may be kept, boarded, or maintained on any lots. These restrictions are in the recorded deed, not the town code. The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside does not interpret or enforce private CC&Rs, and town zoning that permits horses does not override a recorded deed restriction that prohibits them. A buyer who purchases a Pinetop CC&R property with the intent to keep horses has purchased something they cannot legally use for that purpose.
CC&Rs attach to the land, not the owner. They follow the property into every future sale. Removing or modifying a CC&R requires approval from the governing association — a process that is slow, expensive, and typically unsuccessful for uses the association was specifically designed to prohibit.
Layer 2: The Town's Zoning Code
For properties not covered by prohibitive CC&Rs, the Town of Pinetop-Lakeside's zoning ordinance adds its own layer. Key verified provisions from the ordinance:
- Properties greater than 1 acre: horses permitted by administrative review by the Director.
- Properties 1 acre or under: horses require a Conditional Use Permit in all zones except C-2 (heavy commercial).
- Minimum lot size for any horse: ½ acre.
- Minimum corral size: 1,200 square feet per horse, without exception.
- Horse enclosure fences: minimum 5 feet high, 4-foot setback from all property lines.
- No horse facility within 100 feet of any well, spring, lake, or stream used for drinking water.
That last provision — the 100-foot setback from any well, spring, lake, or stream — is not theoretical. Pinetop-Lakeside is named for its lakes and the area is dense with surface water, springs, and wells. This setback eliminates horse facilities on a substantial number of parcels that might otherwise appear viable.
Find a White Mountains Horse Property Agent Near MeLayer 3: The Conditional Use Permit Process
For properties that survive the CC&R check and the lake setback check, horses on lots of 1 acre or under still require a CUP. The CUP process requires: a detailed site plan, drainage and wellhead protection analysis, demonstrated compliance with best management practices for manure and runoff, neighbor notification, and public review. This is not a routine administrative approval — it is a process that can be denied, can take months, and that creates ongoing compliance obligations. Buyers who plan to keep horses on a sub-acre Pinetop-Lakeside lot should budget for the CUP process and understand that approval is not guaranteed.
What This Means Practically
In practice, a buyer searching Pinetop-Lakeside for horse property will find that the majority of listings — particularly in the more developed and desirable neighborhoods — are eliminated by CC&Rs, lake setbacks, or the sub-acre CUP requirement. The properties that remain viable for horses tend to be on the outskirts of the town boundary, on larger parcels that have not been absorbed into the established subdivisions, and on acreage that may not be in the locations buyers were originally attracted to. The equestrian real estate action in the White Mountains is in Linden, not Pinetop-Lakeside.
What to Do If You Want Pinetop-Lakeside
If Pinetop-Lakeside is your location preference for reasons other than horses — family, schools, amenities, proximity to lakes — then consider boarding your horses at a nearby facility and purchasing in the area without the horse-keeping requirement on the lot itself. Linden Valley Arena and the broader Linden area are close enough to make that arrangement work. But do not buy a Pinetop-Lakeside property expecting to keep horses on it without first completing all three of these checks: (1) pull the full recorded CC&Rs from the Navajo County Recorder and read them; (2) confirm the parcel is inside the Town boundary and pull the Town zoning designation; (3) measure the distance from any proposed horse facility to all wells, springs, lakes, and streams within 100 feet.
Key Takeaways
- Many Pinetop-Lakeside subdivisions have recorded CC&Rs that explicitly prohibit horses — these override town zoning.
- The town ordinance requires a CUP for horses on any lot of 1 acre or under.
- A 100-foot setback from any drinking water source eliminates horse facilities on many parcels.
- The equestrian horse-property market in the White Mountains is centered in Linden, not Pinetop-Lakeside.
- Always pull and read the full recorded CC&Rs before evaluating any Pinetop-Lakeside listing for horse use.