retirement home for horses at mill creek farm

This is one of the best activities in Alachua County. Beautiful rolling hills, filled with horses who have been retired, and without this great institution, would be lost to us. The horses are gentle and so thankful for the carrots we bring. It's a chance to give back to animals who have given so much. Great for dates, family and friends....all the above.

Even if you are a big city person you will love Mill Creek Farm. Every Saturday from 11 to 3 you can visit the horses. The admission is just a bag of carrots but donations are always accepted. It is so much fun to feed the horses and they are so happy to see visitors and eat carrots. The horse farm is so peaceful and a great way to relieve stress from a busy work week. All of the horses at the farm have either been abused, injured or have worked for most of their lives. Now they are spending their lives in a great place. Mill Creek farm is also a great place to bring children. My biggest advice - bring a lot of carrots, you will need them!

We went with a small group of kids ranging from 2 to 14. Before we got there, we stopped at the grocery store and got apples and carrots for the horses. Im pretty sure they sell fruits and veggies there but not water (which we were wanting because of being in a field for hours)...If they sold bottled water and told people to take their trash with them, Im sure would make them some great money. They accept donations to help continue care for these precious animals. The horses were lovely to meet and we had a grand time! Such a peaceful place and hope to go back soon.

Our family loves going to the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek! We've been visiting this farm for many years. The farm is open to the public on Saturdays. Our daughters (22, 20, 12) have grown up going to the farm. Fall and Spring are wonderful times to visit, because the weather is cooler and there is usually a nice breeze. Two years ago we celebrated part of our youngest daughter's 10th birthday at the farm. It was a cowgirl/horse theme and we drove the guests to the farm, fed the horses, and took pictures. We all wore colorful bandanas, and everyone had their own bag of carrots to feed the horses. They had so much fun! Little girls and horses, what could be better? The farm admission is free, but they do accept monetary donations. Visitors are encouraged to bring carrots or apples to feed the horses and donkeys. Over 100 horses are housed in different paddocks and visitors can take a leisurely walk down the path as they feed and pet the horses. There are a few benches strategically placed along the path for visitors to sit and relax. There are signs posted at various pastures dedicated to special horses who once lived there, but have died. There is a special field, across from the barn, where blind horses live. These horses love carrots and enjoy being petted, just as the sighted horses do. Inside the barn/farmhouse are clean public restrooms. Volunteers are welcome and college students can earn community service hours. Contact the farm for more information. This is a wonderful farm to visit and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I regularly visit my aunt in Gainesville and was searching for something to do and found this. I was a student at UF, but had never heard of it (what a travesty!) Anyway, there are more than 100 horses here who are either retired from a police force or from abuse situations, etc. They are all so friendly and loving. We brought two giant bags of carrots from Publix and could have given out more if we would have had them. We were able to give at least one to every horse this way though. There are even a few blind horses at the front, and it was fun feeding and interacting with them. The admission is only two carrots, but I bet you will want to donate after seeing this lovely place. Please, go check it out. You will not regret it.

visiting mill creek has been on my to do list since we moved down here. i finally went and will be going again- soon. the place is just fantastic. they have over 120 horses living our their lives in a beautiful location. every pasture has a picture and short history of the horses. many have had lives as police mounts only to fall into abuse situations. it was sad to read but wonderful to see them happy and healthy again. make sure you bring a banana for the old man zac. he's not allowed carrots. there is no entrance fee other than- 2 carrots, if you can though make a cash donation. it's definitely a worthy cause.they have bathrooms in the barn. the walkways are mainly grass/dirt with gentle hills. there's not much shade though so it can be a bit rough in the FL summer. make sure to bring a drink. the horses were all very friendly.

This beautiful farm caring for horses in retirement is on acres of pasture. The admission is 2 carrots (though I recommend several bags from the store because there are so many horses!!) Very inspiring to see a place that is dedicated to caring for the animals to give them a life long home. Not too far off the interstate so it is very easy to visit as you are passing by.

From the moment we arrived and were greeted at the entrance to the pastures by a SUPER greeter who explained the history of the Retirement Home, the specifics of certain horses, we were so pleased we decided to make the trip from our home in Ft. Myers. This charity, non-profit, is well done! The horses , donkeys and roaming elderly dogs will steal your hearts, and do bring a minimum of 2-5 lb. bags of carrots to feed those animals which are permitted to have carrots (most, just one was clearly marked not to feed since he has a choking problem), though Jane & I went through 3 bags and could have easily used a 4th bag at the lower pastures. It was wonderful to meet a couple who are sponsoring a horse that was found chained at Lake Okeechobee, purposely done by someone who should also be chained and left, to be eaten by alligators. The horse was discovered, brought to Mill Creek and this couple visit her weekly, brush, bathe, feed, massage and nurture her....wonderful folks. Take Exit 399, proceed westerly to the traffic light at Rt. 235, turn northerly, follow the road as it goes over I-75, then look for the green sign on your right for Mill Creek. Don't forget to donate! Be well! Wonderful for children of all ages....

This is the nicest horse retirement facility I have ever been to. The fencing, shelters, and general upkeep is well done. It is a beautiful, serene location with well-kept horses who will now have a safe and healthy retirement. It is lovely for children and there are not a lot of gory stories at their eye-level to upset them. Please -ask a volunteer to show your children the correct way to feed carrots, as I saw numerous children doing it unsafely. There are picnic tables all over so bring your lunch and enjoy one of the most tranquil settings you will ever see. You might also be a little humbled at what two retired people have accomplished here.

A beautiful farm with retired, abused or abandoned horses. Take I-75 to exit #399 then go north on 441, turn right immediately after Santa Fe High School, then it is two more right turns by following signs. The farm backs up against I-75. GPS will give you wrong directions.This is a wonderful attraction for all ages! They have carrots you can buy there or bring your own. Also there is one horse who does not have teeth, bring him a banana. He cannot eat carrots because of his dental issue. They don't sell bananas there. Some horses are skinny, this is because they are either a new arrival or they're just elderly and get skinny in old age like humans. They are happy here though you can just sense it and feel it.It will bring tears to your eyes how much these gentle giants appreciate your visit. They love to be petted and talked to. It is best to go right when they open to the public at 11am on Saturday so eat a big breakfast and bring a bottle of water for yourself and wear comfortable walking shoes. There are benches to rest or just watch these amazing animals. If you go at 2pm it tends to get pretty crowded, so 11 is ideal, plus the horses haven't had all those carrots yet :) The horses are well behaved and not aggressive at all. Bring kids, elderly, anyone will love this. I saw some mentally challenged adults there and it really brought them a lot of joy feeding and interacting with the horses.Consider giving a donation, this is a charitable organization. You can write it off on your taxes too.I drove 2 hours each way just to go here. It was well worth the drive.Visited December 2013

A beautiful farm with retired, abused or abandoned horses. Take I-75 to exit #399 then go north on 441, turn right immediately after Santa Fe High School, then it is two more right turns by following signs. The farm backs up against I-75. GPS will give you wrong directions.This is a wonderful attraction for all ages! They have carrots you can buy there or bring your own. Also there is one horse who does not have teeth, bring him a banana. He cannot eat carrots because of his dental issue. They don't sell bananas there. Some horses are skinny, this is because they are either a new arrival or they're just elderly and get skinny in old age like humans. They are happy here though you can just sense it and feel it.It will bring tears to your eyes how much these gentle giants appreciate your visit. They love to be petted and talked to. It is best to go right when they open to the public at 11am on Saturday so eat a big breakfast and bring a bottle of water for yourself and wear comfortable walking shoes. There are benches to rest or just watch these amazing animals. If you go at 2pm it tends to get pretty crowded, so 11 is ideal, plus the horses haven't had all those carrots yet :) The horses are well behaved and not aggressive at all. Bring kids, elderly, anyone will love this. I saw some mentally challenged adults there and it really brought them a lot of joy feeding and interacting with the horses.Consider giving a donation, this is a charitable organization. You can write it off on your taxes too.I drove 2 hours each way just to go here. It was well worth the drive.

Retirement Home for Horses is truly a wonderful sanctuary for the most unwanted of horses.The horses that arrive at Mill Creek Farm are old (over 20) and have been rescued by law enforcement agencies or SPCAs. They arrive starved and in ill health. The mission of this farm is to allow these horses a retirement in a beautiful pastures with vet care and constant attention.The horses are never ridden or worked again .The farm is open every Saturday from 11a-3p. Please bring lots of carrots though. I ran out by the time I reached the first 4 pastures!

Mill Creek Farm has over 200 acres and provides a permanent home to 100+ horses, ponies, mules and donkeys who are abandoned, rescued or retired from police, circuses, and experimental programs. Please know that like very old people, very old horses may not be calendar girl material and can take longer to recover from setbacks. Please note that the horse in these pictures is 32 years old and did stress when he arrived at Mill Creek (he paced continuously and lost weight due to anxiety). He has put on weight since the photo when at his lowest condition was taken (his eyes are still bright and happy in that pic though, hence he started to eat again). This 32 year old horse had been abandoned and many like him can be found enjoying life again as they spend their twilight years at Mill Creek. It is a special place that won't be around for ever.

This farm is a retirement home for many horses. When a horse comes to the farm they have a home until they pass on. The admission fee is two carrots but you will need at least 3 or 4 bags. As you wander from one paddock to the next the horses all come up to the fence for a carrot and many want to be petted. we spent at least a couple of hours there and really enjoyed the many different horses.

If you love horses this place was really neat. The fee was only 2carrots(would prefer a 5lb bag). They have carrots there to purchase as well. We took 4 bags with us and wound up buying 6 more bags. It was well worth the trip. Our boys enjoyed feeding the horses. They have a variety of horses. It is really touching to a animal lovers heart. Would definelty reccommend and would also go back for another trip.