Equine Sciences Center

Established in 1969, this nutritional and reproductive research facility is a 320-acre complex located 7 miles north of Ocala in Marion County, the center of Florida's horse breeding industry. The unit provides the following facilities for research on problems important to the horse industry:

• Main barn with laboratory, 22 stalls, 2 sets of stocks, feed room, office, weight scales, foaling shed, holding paddocks and wash stalls for sales prepping.
• Weanling/yearling barn with 24 feeding stalls, feed room, 4 dry lot paddocks and weight scales.
• Open mare breeding facility with laboratory, holding pen, stocks, 2 light pens - 1 with teasing chute, stallion teasing paddock and weight scales.
• 3 one-acre stallion paddocks with shelters.
• Laboratory building with 3 laboratories, surgery suite, and x-ray room (currently under renovation).
• House for farm manager or employee.
• Residential trailer for 3 UF students.
• Main office.

The ESC maintains a breeding herd of about 22 Thoroughbred and 28 Quarter Horse mares and 2 stallions. Quarter Horse 2-year olds are sold by sealed bid in May or June through the UF Horse Teaching Unit and the Thoroughbreds are sold as yearlings through the Ocala Breeders Sales annual August yearling sale..

Primary research efforts conducted at the center are:

• Nutritional factors influencing skeletal development in growing horses--emphasis is on trace mineral levels, mineral interrelationships, and bone mineral content.
• Mechanisms of seasonal reproduction in mares--key effort is to develop tools to control the springtime transition of reproductive activity.

Picture Tour

• Pastures
• Feeding Stalls
• Weighing Scales
• X-Ray of Cannon Bone

Return to top