Horseback Riding at the Laguna Woods Village Retirement Community
@DeborahDiane (40852)
Laguna Woods, California
June 11, 2017 8:19pm CST
Occasionally, I have posted articles about the horseback riding program for senior citizens at the Laguna Woods Village Retirement Community. As far as we know, it is the only retirement community in the United States which has a stables and horses as one of its amenities.
Below is a video which tells more about this amenity. You can see me riding on a trail ride, wearing a red shirt and a cowboy hat, in this video at approximately 1:40 minutes and 5:40 minutes. You can also see me in a close-up of a still photo at approximately 4:00 minutes. I am wearing a red sweatshirt in that photo. As you can see, I am riding through fields of wildflowers in both the video and photograph.
Our family owned five horses over the years while our daughters were growing up. Now I enjoy being able to continue my passion for riding in a beautiful, relaxed setting.
I took the above photo while out horseback riding on a trail ride with a few other people. As you can see, some of the views are incredible. It is hard to believe we are in the middle of Orange County, California!
For anyone who retires and would like to continue to horseback ride, this is a wonderful place to live!
(If the video does not show here, just highlight it and click on "open" to be taken to it.)
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16 people like this
17 responses
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Jun 17
@Hatley - You are so close in Garden Grove. This is a great retirement community and so unusual because of the horseback riding.
1 person likes this
@Linda1234 (4711)
• Houston, Texas
12 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane That is amazing .The picture looks so beautiful .
2 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane I have read a little about ittoo I am ion
a retirement center but sure not offeriong much here
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@LadyDuck - It is a rare place for retirement. We have golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, horseback riding and the ocean, nearby. What more could anyone want? 
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502950)
• Italy
13 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane There are a lot of activities, what I miss here is a golf course, for the rest I like the silence that we have during the day and night. The tennis court are at 3 minutes walking distance and the pool at 2 minutes driving, of course it is an inside pool, because we do not have many hot days here.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Jun 17
@jstory07 - It is a wonderful place to retire and is also one of the more affordable places to live in Orange County, California. We are also just five miles from Laguna Beach. What could be more perfect?
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@sallypup - The photo is a bit deceptive in that it makes it look as though there are no buildings between our community and the distant mountains. However, we are surrounded by busy roads, freeways, homes and businesses. It is a tranquil little island in the middle of it all.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@RubyHawk - The horseback riding was one of the reasons we chose this retirement community. There are others in the area, but none of them have horses. Since we owned horses while we were raising our children, I wanted to continue to ride, even though our kids are now grown.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@RubyHawk - We have been told this is the only retirement community in the U.S. with horses. It was one of the reasons we chose this place.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
13 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane It's nice that you found a place with horses. I imagine they are few and far between.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@Essjayd - We feel very lucky to have found this community.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
12 Jun 17
You are so blessed to live in such a beautiful community.
I saw you on the video just fine clear as day Deborah!
Anyone would be so lucky to live there.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Anyone would be so lucky to live there.
Thanks for sharing this with us.1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@TiarasOceanView - We are very lucky to live in Laguna Woods Village. It is a fun place to enjoy retirement. We feel very blessed, indeed!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
13 Jun 17
You g girl, I watched enough to see you riding then I checked out houses for sale in the village. Nice area.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
13 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane It looks lovely and it is affordable as well which surprised me.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@BelleStarr - My husband and I moved here 13 years ago and we really enjoy it. There is so much to do!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Jun 17
@BelleStarr -Yes, it is one of the most affordable places to live in Southern California, as well as being one of the safest! Our town has the lowest crime rate of any community of its size in California. We were very lucky to find such a fun, safe, comfortable place to retire.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
13 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane It really sounds idyllic.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Jun 17
@jaboUK - It is a lovely, peaceful place to live ... horseback riding, golf, tennis, gyms and the ocean just five miles away. We are very lucky to have found this place.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@jaboUK - I love it. Some people who have stopped riding because of health problems will still come over and just hang out at the barn and have a cup of coffee or tea. It is such a relaxing place to be.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91201)
• United States
13 Jun 17
Wow that looks like an awesome retirement community. I used to love horseback riding in my youth but haven't gone in many, many years. Your retirement community looks more like a vacation place with all it has to offer
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@Marilynda1225 - One of my friends calls it "Summer Camp for Seniors." We really enjoy living here. There is so much to do!
We really enjoy living here. There is so much to do!
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Aug 17
@TheHorse - I get sore whenever I wait too long between rides, but usually it is my legs that are a bit stiff and sore after a ride. However, it is worth it ... and it motivates me not to skip my rides, so I won't be sore!
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Jun 17
@DianneN - We are both fortunate to have so many interesting activities where we live. Our community also has golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms, and much more, besides being just five miles from the ocean. I know that many people are much more limited in their surroundings. We are very lucky.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
14 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane We certainly are very lucky. No complaints from me!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@just4him - I like being able to horseback ride without having to own my own horse. Whenever I take a trail ride or lesson, it only costs $6. That is such a bargain!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Jun 17
@just4him - I agree. It is one of the reasons why we wanted to live here. Most activities are covered by our homeowners dues. Others, like golf and horseback riding, are very cheap.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
14 Jun 17
@DeborahDiane That is a bargain.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
5 Nov 17
I have been on a horse once. One time when I went back to Minneapolis I went horseback riding. I wanted to learn to do it because there was someone here that does it and wanted to be able to go with that person. I only did it once and was not that thrilled. I think horses are beautiful but not really into them.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
6 Nov 17
@Hannihar - I understand. You either love horses and are comfortable around them, or you are not. Our family enjoys being around them, but most of our friends do not.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Nov 17
@Hannihar - I completely understand. That is how I feel about pet birds and reptiles. While I know people who love both, I don't like to be around either. I guess we all just have certain feelings which we cannot explain ... and shouldn't have to!
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
6 Nov 17
@DeborahDiane
You are so right Deborah-Diane. I have been watching a program called Heartland and other horse shoes and it still does not bring me closer to horses. I do not know what it is that I do not feel towards them like I do to dogs and cats.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209239)
• United States
12 Jun 17
That is neat, and you are right, that is an amenity not typically found in a retirement community!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Jun 17
@snowy22315 - I think it is one of the best things about living here. I enjoy my weekly ride, and could ride even more if I weren't so busy doing other things here!
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Jun 17
A lovely place to ride or even walk though the brush looks quite high.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@JohnRoberts - At the height of spring, the wild flowers can be knee high when we are on horseback! However, there are wide riding trails and people do occasionally walk along them.
1 person likes this
@Kuttu_007 (1939)
• India
13 Jun 17
Horse riding is something really cool...I wish I could do it some day..
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Jun 17
@Kuttu_007 - I hope someday you are able to go horseback riding. It is very exciting.
1 person likes this
