168-Acre Equestrian Ranch & Equine Veterinary Complex | Runnells, Iowa

This 168-Acre Equestrian Ranch & Equine Veterinary Complex is not a listing. It is a legacy. Set on 168.3 acres of rolling eastern Polk County terrain, this is one of the most comprehensively developed private equestrian facilities ever to come to market in Iowa. With 41 horse stalls, 14 fenced pastures, a 6,700+ SF equine vet clinic, 37,000 linear feet of wood fencing, and 28 total structures across 10 combined parcels, the scale of this operation is unlike anything available in the region — and quite possibly unlike anything that has ever been listed in the state of Iowa. Located just 12 minutes from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and 20 minutes from the Des Moines metro, the property sits at a rare intersection of rural grandeur and urban access. All roads throughout the property are asphalt — multiple sections recently repaved — and paved frontage runs on three sides. At the heart of the equestrian operation is a 72 x 162 main stable building with 32 stalls, accompanied by additional stabling, a wash bay, and barn living quarters. The main barn complex also includes a finished kitchen and bathroom area, a separate finished office, open porches, a hay barn, a lean-to, multiple pole barns, and a utility building — all connected by asphalt roads and surrounded by 14 fully fenced pastures, each equipped with its own automatic waterer and dedicated loafing shed. The 4,300 SF electric exerciser and training arena rounds out the working operation, offering a top-tier training environment without leaving the property. The historic farmhouse at 7820 SE Vandalia Drive has stood on this land since 1918. With 1,128 square feet of living area across the main level and a finished attic, plus a full basement, enclosed porch, and an expansive 662 square foot deck, it is a genuine piece of Iowa history. Currently occupied by a month-to-month tenant, the home provides immediate cash flow while the new owner establishes operations. Then there is the 6,700 SF equine vet clinic at 3350 SE 82nd Street — zoned Medical, extensively remodeled approximately 5 to 6 years ago, and essentially untouched since. It is, for all practical purposes, brand new. The clinic features an operating room, a recovery room, a dedicated pharmacy build-out, a kitchen, two bathrooms, in-floor radiant heat, two boiler systems, dual crane lifts capable of handling heavy equipment, 4-foot wide doorways for large animal access, X-ray lighting built directly into the walls, a microbial coating on the clinic floors, an integrated fly system, and an installed pressure washer. Eight interior stalls sit inside the clinic itself, and a 60 x 120 covered arena sits directly adjacent on a neighboring parcel — a facility that could function in full conjunction with the clinic for the right buyer. The clinic could also convert to a barndominium with county approval. The property is further defined by infrastructure that a serious buyer will appreciate. Des Moines city water serves the site. A spring creek runs nearly year-round through 10 to 12 acres of oak timber. Two bridges connect access throughout the property. Five electric meters — including a transformer serving the one-of-a-kind caboose cabin, a converted original train caboose built into an 836 square foot entertainment and party space with a 796 square foot deck — power the full operation. This is a property that creates its own buyer. Whether that is a racing or breeding operation drawn to Prairie Meadows, a veterinary practice ready to step into a turnkey facility, an equine pharmaceutical or stem-cell company seeking an integrated research and treatment environment, a developer eyeing the frontage on SE Vandalia Drive and SE 82nd Street, an event or retreat venue operator, or a cash flow investor —this ranch has something no other property in Iowa can offer.