Introduction

In 2021 the Los Altos Museum embarked on a project to develop a new exhibit, in which a number of subjects relating to The Town of Los Altos Hills would be featured.

One of the proposed subjects would revolve around the Horses, Horsemen, and Trails, that form so much of the backdrop on which the story of the town is painted. The following was compiled as a base of information which the designers of the exhbit could use as a reference.

The information was gathered from a number of documents, but the bulk of the text was adapted from newsletters of The Los Altos Hills Horseman's Association.

The primary motivation behind the incorporation of Los Altos Hills as a town, was the preservation of its semi-rural nature. This included the ability for residents to keep backyard horses, together with an associated priority of having pathways or “trails” permeate the Town. These two themes – Horses and Trails - exerted an indelible stamp on the evolution of the town from its inception to the present day In the early years, some local Horsemen banded together in a social club that organized communal rides and arranged with local landowners for permission to ride through their properties. Membership was by invitation, and keys were provided to unlock certain gates in town to let the riders pass through private property. This was known as “The Trails Club” and was primarily oriented toward recreation. But in 1970, a group of Los Altos Hills horsemen decided there was a need for a separate organization to lobby on behalf of horses and paths in the Hills. From this sprang The Los Altos Hills Horsemen’s Association, whose Articles of Incorporation stated that their primary purpose was “… to promote sponsor and cultivate and foster the use, ownership and care of horses for horsemen and horse owners in the Town of Los Altos Hills and neighboring communities…” Another stated purpose was to support the acquisition, building and maintenance of paths, to insure the continued ability to keep horses in the Hills, and to unite and sustain the membership in these endeavors. The latter goal was achieved by organizing educational clinics for horse-owners as well as various kinds of mounted recreational events and sponsored group trail rides. In June of 1971, the Association took a leading role in developing a brochure that included a trail map of the Town’s paths. The brochure also included the Path and Trail Rules and Courtesies adopted by the Los Altos Hills Council in 1961. The Association went on to establish and maintain many of the paths, both in Town and at Hidden Villa. One of its more significant achievements was enabling the path along Moody Road past Hidden Villa by negotiating with Frank Duveneck to set back the fence in order to provide room for the path. Besides lobbying and advocating for trails within the town as it was developed, members also set their hands to building town-approved trails and bridges using volunteer labor and Association’s funds. These paths are still in use today by horsemen and pedestrians alike throughout the town. Two major efforts stand out amongst all of the other accomplishments of the association. In 1975 the Countess Bessenyey made a gift to the Town of “Westwind Barn”, a 24,000 square foot two-story Barn as well as the extensive property it stood on. This triggered more than a year of inquiry and discussion by the Town Council and residents over the best use of the barn, including the idea to sell the nearly 15 acres of land on which it stood for residential development – this option being advocated by some residents as a requirement for “the highest and best use” of tax-payer’s assets. With the help of extensive and vociferous input from the Horsemen’s Association, the Town Council approved a proposal to preserve the barn as a cooperative stabling facility. It has since grown into a center for community involvement and identity of the town by hosting many town-sponsored activities. The second major project to be undertaken by the Horsemen’s Association was the initial building of the Town Ring and subsequent rebuilding and maintenance with volunteer labor. Funding from the Association coupled with California Park District Funds combined to upgrade the footing and drainage to its current state. It has been a focal point for lessons, clinics, Play Days, and Schooling shows for the wider community over its lifetime. Today, the Horsemen in joint agreement with the Town, help maintain the Arena, as it is currently known, through its fund raising efforts and clean up days. Since the demise of the original “Trails Club”, the Association has progressively assumed even more of the latter’s role through the sponsorship and organization of horse-related activities such as Clinics, Play Days, the summer Schooling Show, and Trail Rides. These feature both off road paths and newly opened paths with destinations to private homes for lunch or to horse-friendly destinations in neighboring communities. Association members have served the Town on the Town Council, Planning Commission, and other committees such as the Parks & Rec and Pathway Committees. They have contributed many hours that have helped shaped the character of the Town. Despite increasing urbanization - as "Silicon Valley" now blossoms where orchards and ranches once dominated, the spirit of the Horsemen's Association still thrives, and the efforts of its membership continue to be felt in the ongoing evolution of the community. --------------------//-------------------- In June 1977 a re-union meeting of the Town’s founders was held, and in a news report (Palo Alto Times of 5/27/77) we read the following: