‘There’s never a bad ride’

Just a short jaunt from Huntington Beach’s bustling downtown is a serene place where whinnies and the stamping of hooves are more audible than the traffic.

The Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center is a hidden gem nestled off Goldenwest Street.

Its corner of the park is where Surf City’s urban surroundings fall away and a world dedicated to horse lovers takes its place.

“It’s a little piece of country right here in Huntington Beach,” said Jennifer Kawai, the center’s event coordinator.

The equestrian center is the only public horse facility in Orange County. Its 158 acres of trails offer riders glimpses of the Bolsa Chica wetlands and beautiful ocean views.

The center berths about 430 horses.

While most are privately owned, Horse Play Rentals is there to provide people of any riding experience the opportunity to saddle up and ride.

“There’s never a bad ride,” according to Katie Larson, who organizes the public rides. Larson contends even those who have never ridden a horse before can feel safe riding these animals. The center offers training and courses in both Western and English styles. Horse Play Rentals riding instructor Marissa Walker teaches classes that begin with grooming and caring for the horses.

The first ride students experience is done bareback, a technique Walker says builds their interest in horses from the ground up; students can decide later if they prefer Western of English saddle riding.

Ashlie Navis, 10, recently had her first day of lessons She talked to her horse while diligently brushing it.

Ashlie says she is excited to learn how to ride and she’s ready for the responsibility of taking care of her new charge, too.

“It’s hard work,” she says. “And for hard work, you get rewarded.”

Anastasia Halpin is a Huntington Beach resident whose daughters are involved in riding at the center.

She told stories about walking around the center to see the horses and having owners offer to let her children ride. “It’s really a treasure,” says Halpin.

Walker says people who are learning to ride develop a kinship with their horses. The relationship built with the equines is considered therapeutic, which has spawned two different rehabilitation groups at the center.

Walker works with recovering drug and alcohol addicts from the Kramer Center in Newport Beach.

“They have so much to teach us about life, about interaction,” she says. “The horses don’t care what you look like.”

The Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach operates under the same philosophy for people with disabilities.

Lynne Liebelt is a retired elementary and middle school teacher as well as a riding instructor for the disabled. She believes the volunteer-based operation helps many physically and mentally disabled students relate better.

“In many cases they improve socially and verbally,” Liebelt says.

The animals also benefit from the program.

Horses may have had no interaction with humans when they come to the center, and little care.

This makes their relationships with riding students even more special, says Walker.

Kawai, the events coordinator, agrees. “A lot of these horses have never been loved on,” she says.

Since the horses come from multiple places, the breeds vary. The Horse Play stable has everything from palominos to ponies and even thoroughbreds.

They have to be trained and prepared for classes.

The horses used by Horse Play Rentals must not kick or bite, and a high tolerance for children is paramount.

“This job takes a very special animal,” says Walker.

Horse Play Rentals takes care to plan vacation time for their livestock. Each horse spends anywhere from six weeks to five months on an Idaho ranch each year.

“They get better vacations than we do,” Larson says.