{"id":307223,"date":"2026-05-09T05:05:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/307223\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T05:05:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T05:05:19","slug":"this-west-long-beach-neighborhood-is-one-of-las-last-horse-havens-yet-it-remains-under-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/307223\/","title":{"rendered":"This West Long Beach neighborhood is one of LA\u2019s last horse havens. Yet, it remains under threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are few places where horses can roam freely in Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But in a quiet neighborhood in West Long Beach, a community of horse owners are keeping a centuries-old tradition alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vaqueros clad with leather sombreros, belts and boots can be found riding their beloved steeds, including prized Andalusian and Friesian breeds from Spain, just around the corner of San Francisco Avenue in Wrigley Heights. They run them around their pens, brush their hair and ride them on a nearby trail \u2013 all in the backyard of their Wrigley homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The equestrian community in Long Beach has roots dating back to the 1700s, since Spanish settlers first arrived with horses to Southern California.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Horses at 3005 San Francisco Ave. rush across the fenced-in enclosures as they prepare for the weekly horse show on April 26, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\"\"Raul Roman poses with his horse at 3005 San Francisco Ave. on April 26, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Over a dozen horseowners currently maintain about 50 horses in Wrigley \u2013 some own property; others rent the stables. Just below the Los Angeles River, riders have access to a horse trail that stretches to Del Amo Boulevard and beyond, as well as traversing through Compton Creek.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re kind of like a little family here,\u201d said Richard Rivera, a Wrigley resident and horseowner. \u201cWe ride together, we barbecue, we have drinks together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many hail from the same small town in Jalisco, Mexico, and have made this land a safe haven to embrace the rancho lifestyle \u2014 an ancient, multigenerational tradition that reminds them of home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Sunday evenings, the riders put on a free show for the community, belting out classic banda tunes while their horses dance along in high stepping motions. Crowds gather in a strip mall parking lot on Anaheim Street and Cedar Avenue every week to watch the dancing horses and charros (horse riders), decked in elaborate suits.<\/p>\n

For many local residents, the stables are a frequent neighborhood visit and a source of their children\u2019s joy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet, this community does not exist without its struggles nor its complicated past, after several city development projects have threatened to reduce or harm the little land that remains for these horses to live and thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Long Beach residents and equestrians ride the horses outside their enclosures on April 26, 2026 in Long Beach. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

The History of Horses in Long Beach<\/p>\n

Horses are deeply threaded in Southern Californian history, from Spanish settlers roaming the land on horseback when the land was still Mexico to the establishment of ranchos that still exist today, including Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos.<\/p>\n

Many trails existed to provide clear pathways for horse riders, including the nationally preserved Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail<\/a>, which ran through three states from Sonora, Mexico to San Francisco.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the Spanish populated California, they would travel along the historic, 51-mile L.A. River, which runs today from Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"On the LA River bike path, a bike rider looks towards tents that line the fence along Shoreline Drive in Long Beach on Nov. 18, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

In the Californio period of the 1800s, the king of Spain deeded lands to trusted generals, which eventually became ranchos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wrigley resident Renee Lawler said the land the equestrian community currently sits on was deeded off from Rancho Los Cerritos. In 1922, the land tract was designed and approved, and homes were developed in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always been an equestrian lifestyle within this region,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n

In 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a 20 year-long process of channelizing the LA River to prevent flooding damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1996, the County Board of Supervisors decided to raise the height of the concrete walls, or levees, to prevent a potential 100-year, catastrophic flood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawler said the construction method they used caused horseowners to lose about 30 to 40 feet of land behind their homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Want more local news? <\/p>\n

Sign up for the Signal Tribune\u2019s daily newsletter<\/p>\n

In 1977, Long Beach began approving horse zoning areas, designated as large, low-density lots where owners could house their horses, have space to exercise them and access the horse trail.<\/p>\n

Since these zones were established, the community has faced several threats, Lawler said. City development projects have threatened protected areas, the amount of land has been reduced, and the increase of motor vehicle and pedestrian activity intersecting with horses on the trail has presented a safety hazard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a dying breed; they want to get rid of everything here,\u201d Richard said. \u201cWe got to keep our traditions alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Lawler moved to Wrigley in 1991, she said the land available for equestrian use was about double the width.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went from 10 large arenas to now these small little pens,\u201d Lawler said. \u201cIt\u2019s been this continual reduction, reduction, reduction of space for us to conduct the lifestyle and maintain the health and safety of the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, the City approved a housing development project, Countryside Lane, within a horse overlay zone. According to Lawler, the homes that were built were not compliant with the requirements for a horse overlay zone, including being low-density and having access to trails.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another housing project that aimed to build apartments on the land behind the equestrian homes, impacting access to trails, emerged in the \u201880s. The equestrian community opposed the project, and it failed to go through.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Later, Lawler said the county tried to refute their easement rights, which allow them to use the property, and that after a lawsuit and settlement, they ended up with reduced land and smaller arenas.<\/p>\n

\"\"Without its owner, the horses pace back and forth in the enclosures as they anxiously wait for their owners on April 26, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

Then, around 2000, the City removed a public equestrian rest area north of Wardlow Road and replaced police horse stables on Wardlow and Golden Avenue with a dog park, which opened in 2011.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1993, the City introduced the Wrigley Greenbelt Trail project, which would use land behind horseowners\u2019 homes for a walking path. The trail was originally set to open in 2009 but was delayed due to pushback from the equestrian community, wanting the land behind their homes to be used as a dedicated corral or rest space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After over two decades of setbacks, the one-mile trail opened in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s taking from a community that\u2019s struggling to survive \u2026 and that has really strong historic significance as to how California grew, why California is so unique,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n

The bike path located above the horse trail, adjacent to the L.A. River, has also become a safety hazard, Lawler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the bike trail merges with the lower horse trail, horse riders often encounter pedestrians, bikers and motorized vehicles that don\u2019t stop and wait for horses to cross.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTheres not proper signage, so it\u2019s unsafe. You\u2019re not supposed to have motorized vehicles but we\u2019re getting more and more,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Guadalupe Perez, equestrian, rides his horse around the West Anaheim Street parking lot on April 26, 2026, occasionally stopping so families can pet his horse. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

The Horseowners of Wrigley<\/p>\n

When Guadalupe Perez came to Long Beach in 1976, he dreamt of one day owning horses, just like he did back home in Jalisco.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, he achieved his dream and bought his first horse in Wrigley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perez likes that he lives in a place where \u201ceverything is at hand,\u201d including, of course, his horses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to go to Riverside or Perris or Bakersfield,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Perez, dubbed \u201cEl Jefe de Santa Clara\u201d by friends and family, says horses have been a lifetime hobby.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Horseback rider Guadalupe Perez sings along with the crowd as he shows off his horse in Long Beach on April 26, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

The weekly horse dancing show was his idea, which quickly proved to be a success. He recalled one instance where a woman hugged his horse and began to weep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not earning any money,\u201d Perez said of the shows. \u201cI do it for enjoyment \u2026 and what I like the most is that people get excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antonio Rivera, a longtime Wrigley resident of 20 years, bought his first horse at 10 years old for 1,500 Mexican pesos (about $86 in today\u2019s currency).\u00a0<\/p>\n

After immigrating to the U.S. in 1967, Rivera bought his first mare in Wilmington around 1971, where he lived with his family. He later moved to Wrigley around 2006, where he bought a property and started buying more horses. Five years later, Rivera\u2019s son Richard joined him, buying a property next door.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Horse riding was a childhood practice for Richard, something he hopes to pass on to the next generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad\u2019s grandfather had horses,\u201d Richard said. \u201cMy grandfather had horses. My dad\u2019s had horses. I\u2019ve had horses. So hopefully my kids can continue the tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard always wanted a place where he could walk out of his house and ride, which he said is rare to find in a city like L.A.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to find something like this,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have the best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Antonio Rivera, who\u2019s in his 80s, pets his horse, Loco, on April 26, 2026 in Long Beach. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

In addition to local residents that frequently visit the stables, Richard said children from \u201cbad neighborhoods\u201d visit and offer to clean stalls just to be around the horses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine if they keep taking horses away, inner city kids \u2026 will never have the opportunity to even be familiar with horses or even see a horse,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Wrigley community isn\u2019t the only pocket of equestrian life in L.A.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Richard said they are connected with other equestrian communities in the city, including horse owners near East Del Amo Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue in Compton as well as North Long Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horses keep us together,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Felipe Alamo practices his lassoing skills, just before the West Long Beach Equestrians preform at West Anaheim Street on April 26, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

The Future of Wrigley\u2019s Equestrian Community<\/p>\n

Though threats to the land may persist, many horse owners are content with their lifestyle and continue to stay involved in the community through their Sunday shows, occasional quincea\u00f1era photoshoots and other events.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan is to keep moving forward, have fun \u2026 and do what we like to do,\u201d Perez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawler said Wrigley could be a great tourist opportunity, showcasing the horses and offering visitors a glimpse into the historic rancho lifestyle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve never been able to get the city and county decision makers to embrace that idea,\u201d Lawler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Lawler, fighting for the understanding and recognition of the equestrian lifestyle is essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis culture is a part of our history, and it\u2019s important to preserve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Know something about this topic we should cover? Let us know here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"AngelaAngela OsorioReporter<\/p>\n

Angela is a multimedia journalist and a third-year journalism student at Cal State Long Beach. She has won awards for her coverage of campus government and crime, as well as entertainment stories and print design. Angela is passionate about the role of local journalism in servicing underrepresented communities, and hopes to continue her work reporting on local policy, environmental justice, community solutions and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are few places where horses can roam freely in Los Angeles.\u00a0 But in a quiet neighborhood in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":307224,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[72237,418,8326,131,133,132,60448,129197,76860,129198,71195,16254,129199],"class_list":["post-307223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-equestrian","tag-history","tag-horses","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-rancho","tag-vaqueros","tag-west-long-beach","tag-west-long-beach-equestrians","tag-westside","tag-wrigley","tag-wrigley-heights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/307224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}