Aliso Canyon Park at 18041 Rinaldi St., with the first public equestrian arena in the Northwest San Fernando Valley, opens 10 a.m. Saturday.
Other equestrian amenities include trailer parking, a staging area, cross ties and an automatic horse waterer. The park serves pedestrians as well and features walking paths with trail markers, a pedestrian bridge over the small creek to protect the riparian habitat, natural meadow areas with California native plants, new picnic tables and a shade structure. The park also features restrooms, split rail fencing, security solar lighting and landscaping.
In 2005, Councilmember Mitch Englander worked as chief of staff to former Councilmember Greig Smith to aquire Aliso Canyon Park and to preserve it as open space and save it from development. Grant funding was then secured in 2010 for improvements to the park.
The councilmember worked with the Porter Ranch, Granada Hills North, and Granada Hills South Neighborhood Councils as well as equestrian and hiking groups to determine the design of the park. The park maintains a natural feel, but includes improvements that make it more accessible, cleaner and safer for the public to enjoy.
Saturday’s event will include remarks from the councilmember and other City of Los Angeles officials. There will also be a dressage demonstration by Katie Richardson, a client of Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship. RideOn provides hippotherapy and equestrian-assisted therapy to children and adults with disabilities. More information can be found at Rideon.org.
