Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-90.221.23.124-20130917093033/@comment-11549959-20131002133822

It's the steward who buys the animals, etc. The housecarl is for security. The Three housecarls (Rayya, Gregor, Valdimar) can be hard to find at times, because they walk the (unmarked) perimeter of your property. To get a steward, get a follower (like Uthgerd), bring them to the property, and open dialog. There should be an option asking if they want to be a steward. Housecarls from other houses (like Lydia) can become stewards too.

Hope this helps.