Swiss National Stud Farm, Horse stud farm in Avenches, Switzerland.

The Swiss National Stud Farm in Avenches is a horse breeding facility with multiple buildings that house stables, training grounds, and veterinary clinics. The various structures are arranged to support daily operations efficiently and allow visitors to observe how the breeding program functions.

A federal foal and stallion depot was founded at Avenches in 1899, after the Thun depot of 1874 became too small; around 150 hectares were bought from 173 owners and the first horses arrived in 1901. In 1927 ten Franches-Montagnes mares were acquired and the depot became the Federal Stud. The cavalry's dissolution in 1972 ended its military role, restructuring followed in 1994, the name Swiss National Stud was adopted in 1998, and a federal performance mandate with global budget came in 2000.

The stud keeps the last native Swiss horse breed, the Franches-Montagnes, a light draught horse used for riding, driving, farm and forest work and hippotherapy. It also supplies the donkeys that accompany Saint Nicholas in his procession at Fribourg.

The facility is open to visitors and is best explored with a guided tour to understand the operations and spaces thoroughly. Wear suitable clothing and be considerate of the animals, especially during training sessions when the grounds are in active use.

In 1969 the stud produced the first foal conceived by frozen semen, named "Icecream". Today the stud supplies around 60 Franches-Montagnes stallions to some 17 breeding stations in Switzerland and one in Marbach, Germany, and keeps a semen bank to safeguard the breed.