A Piece of COUNTRY in the City

The sounds of horses galloping and birds chirping mask the noise of nearby construction trucks and passing cars. Despite encroaching development and increased traffic, the Central Park Equestrian Center in Huntington Beach remains a 25-acre oasis of tranquillity for hundreds of horse lovers.

“It’s like having a piece of country in the city. . . . It is the only piece of country left in the city,” says Huntington Beach resident Kathy Spahr, who considers the center a therapeutic retreat. It also provides the perfect way to end her day: a visit with her two horses, Sterling and Raindancer.

“I couldn’t live here without it,” she says.

There are about half a dozen equestrian centers in Orange County. The Huntington Beach center, whose horse trails overlook the ocean, boards more than 400 horses. It has seven training arenas and a feed-and-tack store, and offers hourly rides and riding lessons. Polo games, played Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, are open to the public.

Some horse riders worry that development may soon creep onto the equestrian center property. But Julie O’Connor, the center’s manager, says it shouldn’t be a concern. The city owns the property and has designated it for equestrian use.

At least 100 people come to the center each day, to train and ride their prized horses. But more important, O’Connor says, they come for the slower pace.

Long Beach resident Dee Sumner says she has often watched coyotes play on the hillside near the stable where she keeps her horses, Marty and Linus.

“If you are all stressed, it’s nice while you’re here, until you get onto Goldenwest [Street] again,” Sumner says. “Everyone here loves horses.”

The recently retired owner of a warehousing and distribution company, Sumner arrives at the stables every morning by 6 to clean and feed her horses. She visits them again in the afternoon to exercise them.

“I would never consider the horses a job, even with the stall cleaning and everything involved,” she says. “I love my horses.”

Huntington Harbour resident Rene Adams admits she spoils her two horses, Mac and Ralph.

“They are like my kids,” says Adams, who likes to ride them in the ocean breeze.

She bought Ralph four years ago instead of buying a new car. And she spends about $800 a month on care and board for Mac and Ralph. In one week, they eat 50 pounds of carrots, 14 pounds of grain, 10 pounds of apples and 140 pounds of alfalfa.

She and other horse lovers say the money and time they commit is well-spent.

Even equestrian center employee Missy Barber of Costa Mesa describes her work as a labor of love. She works 30 to 35 hours a week tacking up, saddling up and riding.

“I’m very tired every day, but I still come back, for some reason,” she says. “If you have a passion for the animals, anything is worth it.”