U.S. Army buys Virginia facility for $8.6 mln to stable Old Guard caisson horses

Published Aug 18, 07:22 PM UTC

The U.S. Army finalized an $8.6 million deal on August 6, 2026, to purchase the Middleburg Training Center in Virginia to house and train the 73 horses of the Old Guard’s Caisson Detachment, which support burials at Arlington National Cemetery. The move follows a 2022 internal review that found inadequate facilities at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall and Fort Belvoir contributed to the deaths of four horses. The Army revamped its equine program, creating a Military Working Equid Task Force and a new equestrian military occupational specialty. While residents support the Army's mission and horse care improvements, they mourn the loss of the training center, which features the state's longest racetrack and is a key local economic and equestrian asset.