There are few places where horses can roam freely in Los Angeles.
But in a quiet neighborhood in West Long Beach, a community of horse owners are keeping a centuries-old tradition alive.
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 – all in the backyard of their Wrigley homes.
The equestrian community in Long Beach has roots dating back to the 1700s, since Spanish settlers first arrived with horses to Southern California.
Over a dozen horseowners currently maintain about 50 horses in Wrigley – 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.
“We’re kind of like a little family here,” said Richard Rivera, a Wrigley resident and horseowner. “We ride together, we barbecue, we have drinks together.”
Many hail from the same small town in Jalisco, Mexico, and have made this land a safe haven to embrace the rancho lifestyle — an ancient, multigenerational tradition that reminds them of home.
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.
For many local residents, the stables are a frequent neighborhood visit and a source of their children’s joy.
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.
The History of Horses in Long Beach
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.
Many trails existed to provide clear pathways for horse riders, including the nationally preserved Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, which ran through three states from Sonora, Mexico to San Francisco.
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.
In the Californio period of the 1800s, the king of Spain deeded lands to trusted generals, which eventually became ranchos.
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.
“There’s always been an equestrian lifestyle within this region,” Lawler said.
In 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a 20 year-long process of channelizing the LA River to prevent flooding damage.
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.
Lawler said the construction method they used caused horseowners to lose about 30 to 40 feet of land behind their homes.
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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.
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.
“It’s a dying breed; they want to get rid of everything here,” Richard said. “We got to keep our traditions alive.”
When Lawler moved to Wrigley in 1991, she said the land available for equestrian use was about double the width.
“We went from 10 large arenas to now these small little pens,” Lawler said. “It’s been this continual reduction, reduction, reduction of space for us to conduct the lifestyle and maintain the health and safety of the horses.”
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.
Another housing project that aimed to build apartments on the land behind the equestrian homes, impacting access to trails, emerged in the ‘80s. The equestrian community opposed the project, and it failed to go through.
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.
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.
In 1993, the City introduced the Wrigley Greenbelt Trail project, which would use land behind horseowners’ 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.
After over two decades of setbacks, the one-mile trail opened in 2023.
“That’s taking from a community that’s struggling to survive … and that has really strong historic significance as to how California grew, why California is so unique,” Lawler said.
The bike path located above the horse trail, adjacent to the L.A. River, has also become a safety hazard, Lawler said.
As the bike trail merges with the lower horse trail, horse riders often encounter pedestrians, bikers and motorized vehicles that don’t stop and wait for horses to cross.
“Theres not proper signage, so it’s unsafe. You’re not supposed to have motorized vehicles but we’re getting more and more,” she said.
The Horseowners of Wrigley
When Guadalupe Perez came to Long Beach in 1976, he dreamt of one day owning horses, just like he did back home in Jalisco.
Three years ago, he achieved his dream and bought his first horse in Wrigley.
Perez likes that he lives in a place where “everything is at hand,” including, of course, his horses.
“I don’t have to go to Riverside or Perris or Bakersfield,” he said.
Perez, dubbed “El Jefe de Santa Clara” by friends and family, says horses have been a lifetime hobby.
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.
“We’re not earning any money,” Perez said of the shows. “I do it for enjoyment … and what I like the most is that people get excited.”
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’s currency).
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’s son Richard joined him, buying a property next door.
Horse riding was a childhood practice for Richard, something he hopes to pass on to the next generation.
“My dad’s grandfather had horses,” Richard said. “My grandfather had horses. My dad’s had horses. I’ve had horses. So hopefully my kids can continue the tradition.”
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.
“It’s hard to find something like this,” he said. “We have the best of both worlds.”
In addition to local residents that frequently visit the stables, Richard said children from “bad neighborhoods” visit and offer to clean stalls just to be around the horses.
“Imagine if they keep taking horses away, inner city kids … will never have the opportunity to even be familiar with horses or even see a horse,” he said.
The Wrigley community isn’t the only pocket of equestrian life in L.A.
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.
“The horses keep us together,” he said.
The Future of Wrigley’s Equestrian Community
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 quinceañera photoshoots and other events.
“The plan is to keep moving forward, have fun … and do what we like to do,” Perez said.
Lawler said Wrigley could be a great tourist opportunity, showcasing the horses and offering visitors a glimpse into the historic rancho lifestyle.
“We’ve never been able to get the city and county decision makers to embrace that idea,” Lawler said.
For Lawler, fighting for the understanding and recognition of the equestrian lifestyle is essential.
“This culture is a part of our history, and it’s important to preserve,” she said.
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Angela Osorio
Reporter
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.
