Deep in the red and in dire need of expensive upgrades, the venerable Lakewood Equestrian Center may yet find a way to survive, though probably not at its current size.
The Lakewood City Council was on the verge of closing the home for more than 100 horses in June, but after three hours of input from a packed house of supporters of the center, the council decided to make one more attempt to find a way to keep it open. The council gave its staff 60 days to come up with a plan for a smaller, more sustainable version of the facility.
The center, which now occupies 19 acres, opened in the early 1950s as Spiller's Stable. Today it operates as a horse boarding and training facility, as well as space for riding lessons. Five days a week, the center features a petting zoo and offers pony rides to the public.
Some of the center's four-legged residents are nearing or already retired, including Jennifer Meeker's 31-year-old horse, Promise.
Meeker is a Long Beach resident who has two horses boarded at the center, 7-year-olds Promise and Frankie.
They are just two of 112 horses boarded at the stables each month; the facility can house nearly 100 more. Most of the current occupants, like Meeker, are from out of town: Only 16 are owned by Lakewood residents.
And, like Meeker, many of them are concerned about the fate of the center.
The city owns half of the land occupied by the center, while the other half belongs to Southern California Edison. A family operated the center from 1987 to 2019, and since then the city “has been unable to find anyone willing or able to invest in the facility and operate it in accordance with state and federal regulations,” the city said in a statement.
In late 2023, the city took over operations of the center, whose expenses have far exceeded its revenue. According to a city staff report, the center is expected to lose more than $175,000 in the current fiscal year and more than $500,000 over the next two years.
The report also found that the city's budget could fund boarding and equestrian activities, but could not fund several needed improvement projects or full-time staff for the facilities.
In total, the facility needs $6 million in repairs and capital improvements to keep it functional. Among the needed projects: Eight of the property’s nine arenas need ground preparation work because they haven’t been repaired since 2019, increasing the risk of horses tripping and falling.
During a special meeting on June 25, Lakewood City Council considered staff proposals to reimagine the facility’s space, eliminating horse boarding and training (but not the petting zoo or pony rides) and instead creating paths to a nature trail, Rynerson Park and the San Gabriel River bike trail. City staff also dismissed the idea of using the space for pickleball courts or a skate park.
But supporters of the center launched an online petition that gathered nearly 4,000 signatures in opposition to the closure of the horse boarding facility.
After a lively debate and 54 public comments arguing for the entire facility to be retained, the council agreed to explore the possibility of building a smaller center confined solely to city property.
The city is seeking to exclude the land from Southern California Edison because the utility can revoke its use of the land at any time.
In its statement, the city said the terms of Edison's lease would hamper long-term planning and improvement of the facility.
At the end of the 60 days, if a viable plan is developed that could spark the interest of an entity that can afford to make the necessary improvements, the council would prepare a request for proposal to seek a new long-term operator, according to the city's statement.
Meeker said the proposals will be presented by a working group that includes stakeholders and residents. A second community group is also meeting to create proposals for the city to consider, he said.
“I hope the city council realizes that not only Lakewood, but also the surrounding gateway cities and those residents who do not have access to [these services] “Everyone else is also strongly opposed to the closure of the Lakewood Equestrian Center,” he said.
Alexa Rodell, a social worker and psychotherapist, has started a GoFundMe page to raise money to develop proposals the city could consider to continue operating the center and its services.
Before boarding her horses at the Lakewood facility, Meeker said, she left them at Rancho Palos Verdes, an hour and a half drive from her home.
When the owner of the stable where Promise was staying decided to retire, Meeker was left looking for options closer to home, which were limited.
She found Lakewood Equestrian Center in 2017. She said it was only three miles from her residence and was the most welcoming community.
“I remember walking up to the booth one night and there were horse biscuits taped to it with a welcome note for me and Promise,” she said.
Meeker said the center also benefits non-horse owners in ways that are difficult to quantify, noting that the public comes just to watch the horse trainers and that the riders welcome people who want to pet their horses. She said she hopes the city will implement programs, activities or services that will draw more people to the center and generate more revenue to keep the facility running.
