Under new ownership since March of last year, the venerable Paddock Riding Club is reclaiming its heritage as one of the Los Angeles area’s country-club style boarding and training facilities. Substantial practical and aesthetic renovations have enabled the facility to fully capitalize on its tree-filled, serene setting near the Los Angeles River.
New owner Alex Chaves is an enthusiastic horseman with three generations of his family involved with horses. A roping rider, Chaves has given new manager John Meredith the green light to upgrade the facilities in many ways. Fresh air was the first item on the agenda of now completed improvements. Rooflines on several of the barns that house the Paddock’s 200 horses were altered to improve ventilation. Breathable yoke-type doors were also added as needed.
The footing in all six of the Paddock’s riding arenas has been completely re-done. That was after the bases in all rings were laser leveled, notes John. The arenas have always drained well during the rainy season, he adds.
In addition to the standard first class horse care amenities, the Paddock offers 18 turn-outs, a lunging arena, a round pen and a Euroxciser. “Even though we are at full capacity, we never have a problem with our arenas being too crowded,” John says. Each arena has a designated use, most for jumping or dressage, the disciplines practiced by the majority of the Paddock’s boarders. Eleven trainers currently call the Paddock home and the horses are kept safe by 24-hour security.
With a long resume of both stable management and training, John says that the Paddock’s strongest of many attributes is its tranquil atmosphere. “This is not an industrial park for horses. It’s much more of a country club like setting: very serene.” The Paddock sits on a cul de sac. “There is not a lot of traffic and it is usually very quiet.”
A bridle path is currently being built on the 13-acre property. More ambitious trail riders have easy access to the Griffith Park routes via a tunnel under the I-5 Freeway, giving boarders a link to the park’s 50-plus miles of trails.
“He has made a very generous capital improvement budget to make all the improvements necessary,” says John of owner Alex Chaves’s commitment to the Paddock. “That includes all the renovations that most benefit the horses and our human clientele. At the same time we are going beyond that and improving the aesthetic appeal.”
For more information on boarding and training opportunities at the Paddock, please visit
www.thepaddockla.com or call 323-662-3523.