48 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
The view of Los Angeles from the back of a horse. On a clear
day you can see … almost forever!
Taking our anniversary celebration to the next level, we posed
on a plateau with the iconic Hollywood sign behind us.
the end of the street, a guard stood sentinel. We told him we were
there for the trail ride, and he waved us through to what seemed
a portal to the Old West.
Several shiny horses in varying hues milled about in the main
corral. Some sported Western saddles and were tied up along
a fence, awaiting their riders (Sunset Ranch accepts walk-ins).
After signing the waiver paperwork and listening to a five-minute
spiel on how to ride, we were given a pair of sturdy Paints. I rode
a palomino with a blond mane that would be the envy of many a
budding starlet, and my husband rode a chestnut who pinned his
ears if he sensed the other horses encroaching on his space.
Sites and Celebrity Sightings
In addition to our guide, Joanie, and a boarder who rode
his own horse along with us, there were three other trail riders
beside ourselves. Joanie was friendly and the real deal in cowboy
hat, snap shirt, and bandana; she grew up on a cattle ranch in
Colorado.
My husband and I chatted
with her for almost the whole
two hours. He asked what wild
animals she encounters on the
trail, whereas I asked about
celebrity sightings.
We learned deer and coyotes
make frequent appearances
on the trail, occasionally
rattlesnakes and once they
spotted actor Vince Vaughn — he was on a hike. She added that
Victoria and David Beckham hosted a birthday party trail ride for
one of their children and David was a friendly guy.
In 2013,
Esquire
magazine did a photo shoot of the soccer star
at the ranch, and
Glamour
used the barn for a photo shoot with
Zooey Deschanel. There’s even a rumor Jack Black took riding
lessons at Sunset Ranch when he lived in the neighborhood.
A different kind of celebrity once spotted on the trail was P-22,
the mountain lion made famous with his impressive cover shot
on the December 2013 issue of
National Geographic.
The big
cat’s picture was snapped by a remote infrared camera as he
strode past the Hollywood sign at night. The famous mountain lion
apparently just walked past the group of trail riders (giving them a
thrill, I’m sure).
Sunset Ranch frequently receives calls from the nearby movie
studios requesting a certain color of horse for filming and some
of the ranch staff are also actors who get recruited for film or
television scenes involving horses.
The appeal of this trail ride is the chance to see world-
renowned landmarks such as the Griffith Observatory (famous
from movies like
The Terminator
and
Rebel Without a Cause
)
and the Hollywood sign, to the downtown L.A. skyline. We also
saw the Los Angeles Zoo, Autry Museum, Greek Theatre, and
the runways of Bob Hope Airport. On a clear day they say you
can see the Pacific Ocean from atop the plateau where our group
of six riders paused to drink in the view. Catalina Island is on the
horizon, too. There’s no other vista point like this in Los Angeles.
The Riding
For someone already comfortable in the saddle, the trail is
straightforward and not a significant challenge — unless, like me,
you have a fear of heights. Even though the mountain path is more
like a wide dirt road, the horses prefer to walk at the very edge,
where path joins precipice. Our guide claimed that the horses
hug the edge so they have a better view of potential predators.
Whatever the reason, I ruled
out the future possibility of
riding the Grand Canyon trail
on mules like the Brady Bunch
did on vacation circa 1975.
My husband and I had
a
wonderful
anniversary,
celebrated
old-school
Hollywood style, and it’s a
memory we won’t soon forget.
Next time you’re looking for a unique California diversion, skip the
beach and ride into the sunset at Sunset Ranch.
Recommendations for the Sunset Trail: Peruse the Sunset
Ranch website ride options and email ahead of time to reserve
your spot; don’t try using GPS to find Sunset Ranch as you will
get turned around but instead use the website’s directions; wear
sunscreen; they won’t let you take a water bottle on the trail but
you can take a Camelbak; wear your own riding helmet to avoid a
loaner helmet of unknown age and origin; be prepared to tip your
guide; use the hashtag #SunsetRanch on Instagram and Twitter
to see and share photos from the trail. For more information, visit
.
About the writer: Susan Friedland-Smith, a California history teacher living in
North Tustin, has been horse-crazy since girlhood. Susan’s love-of-her-life was a
tall, dark, and handsome Kentucky Thoroughbred who was her show partner and
faithful companion for 16 years through the ups and downs of dating as she searched
for “the one.” Susan finally found her man, married, and months later lost her horse to
colic. Now after a three-year horse hiatus, with husband-turned-budding equestrian
in tow, she’s again hunting for “the one”: equine version. Join the adventure by
following her blog Saddle Seeks Horse at
and on
Twitter@susanwordlover
Photos courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith
“There’s even a rumor Jack
Black took riding lessons at
Sunset Ranch when he lived in
the neighborhood.”
