The Equestrian Center off of Normandy Boulevard is not even zoned for flooding.
With over 400 stalls, it’s a good place for ranchers to keep their horses in the event of a hurricane.
Some handlers even stayed in stalls overnight to keep their horses calm. Handlers say that is because horses are prey animals and can be easily frightened when the weather gets bad.
Horses like Moose need their exercise.
Gabriehl Shock has gone through many hurricanes.
She says riding out Dorian in these stalls was a bit hectic at times.
"A lot of the horses here got stocked up, so their legs got swollen, so we had to walk them for a few hours around the property,” Shock said.
The storm dealt a small blow to their home at the Needmore land and cattle ranch in St. Johns County.
"[The horses will] have to stay around the house area because the trees where they usually stay in the paddock are down," Shock said. "They have to make sure the fences are good before anyone else goes back out there."
Up to 175 horses staying at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center were good guests according to Candice Barnes.
The equestrian center lost $20,000 because Dorian canceled some events.
Barnes feels fine knowing they could keep horses safe from a hurricane.
"Being born and raised here, we see how bad it could get quickly. So I'm pretty proud of the people who decided to get the horses out instead of making the decision to stay," Barnes said.
People like Shock are dedicated to keeping horses safe which is easy when you do these few things.
"Just making sure the horses are fine, nobody gets injured, stress-free, and try to keep them as comfortable as possible," Shock said.
The equestrian center also hosted first responders including the Alachua County Community Support team and members of the Alabama Search and Rescue Task Force in case conditions were worse.