Inside L.A.’s hidden equestrian oasis, you can ride a horse to the neighborhood coffee shop
A spritely woman leading a white horse waves at me from a perfectly suburban street corner in Burbank looking like an ethereal ghost of rodeos past.
Instantly, I know it’s Tarrah Barbour, who invited me to visit an equestrian neighborhood tucked in a far-from-rural nook between Walt Disney Studios and Griffith Park.
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I look up and down the quiet, leafy street just an exhale away from the thumping heartbeat of the San Fernando Valley and wonder where on earth even one horse could be kept.
Barbour, 44, buzzing with energy despite rising in the early hours to tend to horses, introduces me to her horse Kota and then leads me around the corner. A parallel rustic world emerges: past a cherry red Chevy pickup truck and horse trailer is the entrance to stables.
There I meet Hector Aguilar, who proudly recounts riding USC’s mascot, a horse named Traveler — and whips out a June 2014 copy of The Times featuring a photo of him atop the regal creature to prove it. Sheena Graves, a Hollywood horse wrangler, mills around in serious-looking leather boots.
For many residents of the Burbank Rancho Equestrian District, as well as the adjacent Riverside Rancho in Glendale, life revolves around their equine charges. Even with hired help, taking care of the graceful but massive creatures requires investment — of time, money and heart.
Karen Thornton, a Burbank Rancho resident with a small gaggle of farm animals, including a horse and a pony, told me that being a horse person leaves virtually no time for other hobbies. Taking vacations is tough. “It’s more of a lifestyle,” she said.
For some, it’s a dream come true. “Every morning I wake up and I feel like I’m an 8-year-old girl,” Barbour told me, eyes shining behind oversize circular sunglasses.
By the time Barbour starts work (as an advertising producer) at 9:30 a.m., she’s typically exercised three horses. Perhaps a gallop at Griffith Park or lunging — driving a horse around a circle on a rope — in a patch of land called the Pollywog. She checks on the animals at 6 p.m. and then again by 11 p.m. and relies on twice-daily visits by Jose Alberto Lomeli, 80, who, for a half-century, has cared for horses in the area.
“Rain, shine, earthquake, every single day — now 24 years without a day off,” Lomeli said.
Film studios and equestrians in the area have long enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Just as the first movie production companies moved into Burbank in the 1920s, large farms and ranches sprang up. By the 1940s, those expansive lots were subdivided into small homes, many with horse stalls in the back. That proximity became an asset when horses, and someone to handle them, were needed on set. (Horse celebrity Mr. Ed once lived there, USC’s mascot still does.)
Most of my horseback riding experience dates back to toddlerhood when my parents took me to the now-closed Griffith Park Pony Rides. But alongside Barbour I feel at ease astride a gentle brown steed named Charlie.
We depart from Studio Horse Rental — the only remaining horse rental facility in Burbank — and make our way across the Mariposa Bridge over the L.A. River that connects Burbank to more than 4,000 acres of land in Griffith Park.
Ten of us, five riders and five horses, pass under the 134 Freeway and past the Martinez Arena, a first-come, first-served public equestrian area. Eventually, we veer away from concrete and plod along a dirt trail through the trees.
I feel comfortable as we saunter along the path — even when the horses switch from a slow walk to a trot. As the pace momentarily quickens, a sense of freedom surges up. Atop the strong, graceful creature, I absorb some of its power. I become conscious of how tall I’ve grown. The allure of horse life clicks.
How to get your horse on in the city
Barbour says she sometimes rides to Basecamp, a local coffee shop, for a morning cup of joe. So consider that a good starting point.
Those who want to experience what it’s like to meander on horseback can book a guided trail ride at one of the local rental facilities. Studio Horse Rental located near the horse bridge on Mariposa Street is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and welcomes riders of all skill levels. My one-hour ride through Griffith Park cost $50. Another option is L.A. Horse Rentals, a stone’s throw away in Glendale. Rides between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours are offered daily, with prices ranging from $30 to $75. Longer trail rides can be booked on weekends.
If you’re interested in mastering the ropes (and reins as it were), consider taking a lesson. Studio Horse Rental offers them. When dismounting from my ride, I met trainer Lorie Martan, whom my Rancho companions praised for her gifted ways of working with children. L.A. Equestrian Center hosts trainers specializing in an array of training styles. Details are available at thelaec.com. Traditional Equitation School, located in the center, bills itself as the oldest horseback riding school in L.A. Prices start at $93.50 for a single lesson.
Experienced riders are welcome to haul over their horse for a day in Griffith, a lunge in the Pollywog or a roll in Martinez Arena. Boarding is available at the Equestrian Center. Food and equipment can be purchased at Damoor’s or Trickee Tack, located on the same lot as L.A. Horse Rentals. And, if you need any leather repairs, hoof it over to A&M Leather Shop, run by Lomeli and his longtime business partner Miguel Angel Garcia and located behind Border Brothers Dry Cleaners & Laundry.
3 things to do
1. Walk — or run — past holiday lights. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve loved to jog the streets of L.A. as a means to explore neighborhoods. The time between Halloween and Christmas is a particularly great time to do this because you get the seasonal benefit of taking in holiday lights and festive facades. The lights also literally brighten up an evening foray. Walking is perfectly acceptable, but a quicker clip allows you to cover more ground. Need some inspo? My colleague Jeanette Marantos compiled this list of 30 dazzling light displays across Southern California.
2. Experience a winter wonderland at a park near you. Through Dec. 16, dozens of L.A. County parks will be transformed into winterscapes complete with 40 to 80 tons of snow for sledding and playing. Free and open to all ages, the Parks After Dark: Winter Wonderland events will also feature family- and teen-friendly crafts, hot cocoa and snacks, carnival games, toy giveaways, holiday music and more. Hosted by L.A. County Parks and Recreation, the events will be held Fridays and Saturdays from either noon to 4 p.m. or 4 to 8 p.m A full list of parks and their event times is available at parks.lacounty.gov.
3. Get merry on a guided Griffith Park hike. On Dec. 16, naturalist Jason Wise will lead a group on a one-mile hike to celebrate the native fauna in our backyard with a crafty wintertime twist. Participants will forage mistletoe to transform into a decoration, learn about the native California holly and craft ornaments from pine cones. Warm cider, craft supplies and hiking lessons will be provided on the two-hour experience running from noon to 2 p.m. Hosting the hike is Usal Outdoor Research Center, a community hub and store geared toward the “modern nature enthusiast.” Tickets are $30. Details and booking at usalproject.com.
The must-read
Three men, two ropes and one sleeping bag. Those were the essential — and notably minimal — ingredients for a celebrated recent ascent of the north face of dizzyingly sheer Mount Jannu in the Himalayas. Some have summited the daunting peak, but none have done this particularly challenging route in the light alpine style employed by a trio of Americans who successfully reached the 25,295-foot summit on Oct. 12, John Branch explains in a recent piece for the New York Times.
Alan Rousseau, Matt Cornell and Jackson Marvell tackled the summit — notorious for its height, steepness and remote locale — without supplemental oxygen, fixed ropes or the help of porters beyond base camp. Top alpinists have lauded the feat as one of the most significant in climbing, exceeding the difficulty of scaling Everest. Besides its impressive athleticism, the climb represents a hopeful alternative to navigating crowds that have improbably become common on Everest and other behemoths.
Happy adventuring,
P.S.
Every month, local gallerist Lauren Powell leads a procession of art lovers up a steep trail to a pine tree grove overlooking the L.A. Basin. Besides trail snacks and water bottles, the crew hauls up art, thereby freeing it from the potentially exclusionary gallery space. “I would say this is a pilgrimage to bring the gallery outside of the four walls to the public,” Powell told my colleague Deborah Vankin, who chronicled the recurring ritual.
On a recent trek, a group of roughly 30, decked out in primarily sunset-hued threads, carried hulking paintings by Senon Williams, giving off what Vankin described as “a Burning Man-meets-Sierra Club vibe.” Once they reached an area adjacent to the iconic Griffith Observatory, they installed the works for a temporary open-air exhibit. As the sun set, the paintings appeared to dissolve against the golden backdrop. The hikes are free and open to the public, with the next one scheduled for Dec. 17.
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
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