Horseback Riding Offered at Will Rogers State Park

‘A man that don’t love a horse, there is something the matter with him,’ humorist and actor Will Rogers once said. The legendary Rogers loved to ride and rope on his 186-acre ranch, which is now Will Rogers State Historic Park, and this is an important reason why California’State Parks’recently decided to offer trail-led horseback riding to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. ‘We wanted to let people enjoy what Will Rogers did out here on the ranch,’ said park superintendent Lynette Hernandez. Westside Riding School offers horseback riding lessons at the park, but guided horseback riding has not previously been available to the public on a regular basis, Hernandez said. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I visited the park to take advantage of this new opportunity. In the upper roping arena, I met Dario Perez, who’s offering the horseback riding rentals through his business, Broken P Horse Rentals. Perez and his brothers, Scott and Robert, also oversee Circle K Horse Rentals in Griffith Park and Rocking K Horse Rentals in Thousand Oaks. Their grandfather originally started Circle K about 40 years ago behind Magic Mountain. State Parks officials approached the Perez brothers about offering horseback riding at Will Rogers park, and ‘we decided to give it a chance to see if the public would be willing to come out and get involved,’ Dario Perez said. His company gives State Parks 10 percent of the profit. ‘It’s convenient for the neighbors because they don’t have to drive far to go horseback riding,’ Perez said. ‘It’s a nice park, good trails, good views and great weather.’ Perez brings 10 horses to the park from his ranch in Castaic. When business picks up, he expects to transport as many as 20 horses. He and his girlfriend, Carrie Stover, take beginner to expert riders on one-hour rides along Inspiration Trail. Even though I grew up in a rural community where many of my friends participated in horse shows, I have ridden horses only a handful of times. Perez, who has 25 years of horseback riding experience, helped me mount my horse, coincidentally named Palisades, and gave me some basic riding instructions. As we rode, he told stories of Will Rogers’ life and pointed to historic sights such as Will’s stable, where he kept 20 to 30 horses, and his 31-room ranch house. Rogers once said that the stable for his horses was nicer than his own home. The horses are trained to follow the lead horse, so my blonde quarter-horse stayed behind Perez’s the entire one-hour trip. Palisades could tell I was an inexperienced rider, so he didn’t pay much attention when I tried to give him commands. He often stopped to look around, but Perez would make kissing noises to get him back on track. We rode along the trail lined with eucalyptus trees to Inspiration Point, where we looked out over the L.A. basin cast with shadows because the sun was starting to set. It was a clear day without smog, and we could clearly see Catalina Island and the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles. On our trip, children excitedly pointed at our horses and adult hikers stopped to talk to us about them. By the time we returned, the entire experience made me think of another one of Will’s quotes: ‘There is something about riding down the street on a prancing horse that makes you feel like something, even when you ain’t a thing.’ I couldn’t agree more, and I look forward to riding again. Participants must be at least 7 years old and four feet tall. Riders 17 years and younger must have a parent with them to sign the release form. Beginners have the option of wearing a helmet. The cost is $40 per person (cash only) and parking is $8. All rides are on a first-come, first-served basis, or reservations can be made in advance by calling (310) 597-1480.