Equestrian community opposes plan for dog kennels at Silver Spurs Stables

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Since the 1930s, Southern Californians have boarded their horses at Silver Spur Stables, or visited to enjoy a ride along the trails near Griffith Park. Silver Spur Stables has been a part of the film industry for decades, providing horses for movies and televisions shows.

The equestrian community at what's called the Riverside Rancho wants to preserve the stables and their way of life here. The new owner of the property has informed the community that it plans on building dog kennels here - something the horse owners don't think is a good idea.

"These horses ... they can get upset or agitated over just a quick sudden movement or a dog barking or if a dog gets loose," James DeCarli, who is with the group Save Glendale Riverside Rancho, said. "Even the most experienced equestrian could have a problem controlling the animal."

"You need to keep them separate," Caleche Ryder, a horse boarder, said. "It's actually quite dangerous and a big liability to mix dogs and horses in that capacity, especially when you're speaking of boarding foreign dogs that we don't know where they've been."

The men and women who board horses here have been involved in a battle to preserve the stables for over a few years.

"It would be horrible to change the cosmesis of Glendale and Burbank to dog kennels, condominiums or office buildings. It would be very much like a house on Balboa Island and somebody took out all of the boat slips," Jim Nichols said.

According to the city of Glendale, no zoning changes are in the works, and an application for a permit to make changes to the property has not been submitted. Eyewitness News was unable to get in contact the new owner for a statement.