An equine center on the Eastside that has served University of Arizona students for more than a decade now faces an uncertain future.
The Al-Marah Equine Center, donated to the university years ago, could be sold, the U of A announced Jan. 15. The 80-acre ranch, originally developed to breed, train and market world-renowned Al-Marah Arabian horses, was left to the university after the death of Ruth “Bazy” Tankersley in 2013 and officially acquired in 2015.
For Laura Miller, a math and engineering professor who uses horses as part of her teaching, the news hits close to home.
“This is Remington,” Miller explains, “He’s owned by a lady who wanted to volunteer him to go to Al-Marah in our program, but at this point it’s like…”
Miller has built a unique classroom in the barn, connecting math and engineering students with hands-on equine experience.
“I basically use tools for mathematics and engineering to help horses,” she said…