Happy Trails Horse Rentals

User Review:

• They say that San Diego has more horses per capita than any other county in the US. I don't know if that's true today — if it ever was — but certain parts of the county still have a strong equestrian flavor. Bonita and sections of the North County do, and stables also line the southernmost stretch of Hollister Street in Imperial Beach. Not so long ago you could rent horses from any number of the latter. Today, though, only one or two IB operations still offer trail rides to the public. One is Happy Trails. From the Happy Trails property (at 2012 Sunset Ave.), it's less than 2 miles to the beach — the only one in all of Southern California that still welcomes horses. Nearby lies the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, with Border Field State Park just to the south. This should be an idyllic place for a ride: through an undeveloped wetlands to a deserted beach, less than 12 miles (as the crow flies) from downtown San Diego's concrete corridors. The Happy Trails facility is impressive. Home to a dozen or so equestrian boarders and around 50 trail horses, it's a tidy, well-run business where the animals looked healthy and well-cared for.
• The description was provided by Jeannette M. De Wyze