About Midland Acres

Dr. Don “Doc” Mossbarger inherited the family’s small farm in Bloomingburg after a train killed his father in 1965. During that time, Doc started his one-man veterinary business as a large animal practitioner.

“When a family starts its own business, there are lots of challenges,” Dr. John Mossbarger, Doc's son, said. “When my father started his single-man veterinary practice, it was a struggle for the first few years. He sat by the phone waiting for it to ring. And my mother thought he was a workaholic, but he took care of his practice.”



Doc’s practice survived on traveling from farm to farm giving cholera vaccinations to hogs. Since the time they were around 6 years old, John and Jay Mossbarger can remember restraining hogs while their father administered the cholera vaccine.

“On Saturdays, that’s what we did; we held hogs,” Jay said.

During that time, their father taught them not only how to hold hogs, but how to run a business, with values like good service, honor and integrity.

“He taught us that rich and poor come and go, but our integrity remains with us forever,” Jay said.



But in 1968, Doc’s integrity was put to the test. That was the year cholera was eradicated, and the vaccinations, which the Mossbarger family relied on for a steady income, were discontinued.

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“And with Dad, he just couldn’t start charging his customers more for the rest of the services he offered. He just couldn’t do it in good conscience,” John said.​

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The family knew it had to diversify in order to keep the farm. It was around that time that one of Doc’s customers suggested he start breeding horses. So, in order to keep his farm and ethics intact, Doc Mossbarger began breeding Standardbred horses, and the Mossbarger family business became Midland Acres.

Dr. Robert Schwartz joined the team in 1971. Because he grew up near Lebanon Raceway, Schwartz brought extensive knowledge of the harness racing industry to the farm. “If it weren’t for Bob, we wouldn’t have had one of our first premier stallions,” John Mossbarger said.

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By the mid-1990s, the Midland Acres hard work had paid off. They had acquired more than 500 acres and were breeding around 700 horses a year, becoming one of Ohio’s largest horse farms.

Jacob Mossbarger, Jay's son joined the operation in 2010. 

In September 2014, Dr. Don '“Doc”' Mossbarger was selected as the 30th Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame Honoree by the Delaware County Fair. Dr. Mossbarger was a tireless supporter of the efforts to bring the Video Lottery Terminals (VTLs) to Ohio’s racetracks and is a is a member of the Little Brown Jug Society and a past president and former board member of the Ohio Harness Horseman’s Association, and in 1994 he was elected into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

When you call the office or visit us, you will be greeted by Tara Degenkolb or Tracy Foy.  They will gladly answer any booking or billing questions you may have.

Dr. Robert Schwartz, Dr. John Mossbarger, Jay Mossbarger & D.E. "Doc" Mossbarger