Raising Kids and Horses in Burbank Rancho
Burbank Rancho sits steps from the Los Angeles Equestrian Center — a 75-acre world-class facility with boarding, horse shows, riding schools, and specialty trainers for all ages and levels. For families raising kids around horses, having this resource within walking or riding distance is one of the most underappreciated advantages of living in the Rancho pocket.
Traditional Equitation School at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center is the only British Horse Society approved riding school on the West Coast and the only USHJA recognized riding academy in Los Angeles County. They offer lessons for all ages and levels including kids horse camps, scout merit badge programs, and birthday parties — all right in Burbank Rancho's backyard.
According to the Burbank Rancho Neighborhood Specific Plan, families with children are among the most common residents in the pocket, drawn by top-rated schools like William McKinley Elementary and Burroughs High School alongside the equestrian lifestyle. It is one of the rare LA neighborhoods where raising kids and horses in the same backyard is not just possible — it is normal.
In Burbank Rancho, riders commute through the neighborhood on horseback, ride to nearby coffee shops, and access Griffith Park trails directly from their streets. Schools, churches, and parks are within riding distance. It is the only neighborhood in Los Angeles where equestrian life is genuinely woven into the daily rhythm of raising a family.
Good Pony Inc has been teaching riding lessons in the Burbank Rancho and Griffith Park area since 2011, specializing in beginners, rescued horses, and building genuine connection between kids and horses. Private and semi-private lessons for all ages, led by an instructor who has worked in the Rancho community for over two decades.
Pony Club and 4-H are the two most established youth equestrian programs in the country and both are accessible to Burbank Rancho families. This Horse Illustrated guide breaks down the options for young riders from grades 3 through 12 — covering riding skills, horse care, horsemanship, and competition pathways.