Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension

The Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension (MARE) Center, a 420-acre farm, was donated with a supporting grant to Virginia Tech in 1949 by the late Paul Mellon and his wife.  For 40 years, the Center was used mainly for beef cattle research.  In 1992, it was re-dedicated to equine research. The breeding stock are registered Thoroughbreds donated by many generous supporters. The MARE Center is currently home to two stallions, more than 40 broodmares, 22 yearlings and 29 foals used for studies of reproduction and growth.  In addition, a dozen Arabians are used for studies of endurance exercise.

Paul Mellon’s mission is for the Center to conduct research on pasture systems intended to promote the performance of grazing animals and, at the same time, protect and enhance the land.  In the transition from beef cattle to horses, much emphasis was placed on the use of the Center for training graduate students in equine science.

Over the last 16 years, a novel family of pasture supplements has been developed in which fat and fiber replace the traditional starch and sugar.  These fat and fiber supplements sustain smoother growth and improve exercise performance.  They also avoid diseases associated with rapid fermentation in the large bowel, such as some forms of diarrhea, colic, acute laminitis and, perhaps, gastric ulcers and other diseases associated with chronic insulin resistance, such as some forms of sub-acute laminitis and developmental orthopedic disease.