Sunday was a Walk in the Park (or Rather a Ride)
- Susan Heavilin
- Dec 15, 2025
- 2 min read
So as you may know, there a big brouhaha going on right this minute about the Rohr Park Horse Arena.
This past Thursday, there was a Special Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. The room was full of horse riders and non-horse riders all advocating for the Horse Arena to be added back on the Rohr Park Master Plan.
The audio for the 12.11.2025 special meeting can be found here. Click on the last item . . . 2025.12.11PRCSpecial. It is a Commission recording and very clear.
The Agenda item was listed as Presentation 5.3, a Rohr Park Master Plan Informational Update by Director Carson. No indication that this was about the removal of the Horse Arena but boy was it ever! It was almost like they were trying to hide something. But that pretty much sums it up how it's been going since it started. As of yet, the arena has not been named as such on any public agenda. Kind of like "A Horse With No Name" but this is "A Horse Arena Agenda With No Name."
But you can't fool these horse people, they figured out the game and galloped right in. There were 86 Public Comments [16 in support in removing the arena, 66 opposed and 7 neutral]. Seventeen people stood up before the Commissioners to explain why the Rohr Park Arena had meaning and importance and history to them and why it was so special and necessary in their lives. And those Commissioners were a bright bunch. They read right between the lines and it didn't take them long to ask the moral questions that would divulge the truth.
That meeting was basically a win for the attendees and with any luck, we're headed for a good outcome in this whole nightmare.
With all the difficulty encountered lately, we really deserved a walk in the park. The horse community mounted up and headed out this past Sunday to do what they love the best, ride their horses.
Click on the image to enlarge | Photo by Sunnyside Common Sense
They were riding the trail along Bonita Road and waving at the cars that passed them.
They were enjoying the ride along Sweetwater Road as it enters the trail surrounded by majestic trees.
And if you've ever seen a group of caballeros riding down Bonita Road on their gorgeous steeds, it's enough to take your breath away.
Sunday they were at the Rohr Park Horse Arena—en masse—31 in all!
So take a deep breath and get ready for January. This time we'll know what we're up against!
The horse arena should not be removed because it serves as an important space for training, recreation, and community engagement. It provides a safe and designated area for riders to practice their skills, care for their horses, and participate in lessons or events that promote responsible horsemanship. Removing the arena would limit opportunities for youth and adults to stay active, learn discipline, and build confidence through equestrian activities. Additionally, the arena supports local traditions and can contribute to the local economy by attracting events, lessons, and visitors. Preserving the horse arena helps maintain a valuable community resource that benefits both current and future generations.
A couple months ago we couldnt enjoy the arena because it was closed with lock its been a very short time they opened it again and Were enjoying it with our sons and family its a good place for people to enjoy the it time with their horses in a natural healthy way. Taking it away would take away many peoples fun place and hobby.
The arena in rohr park bonita is known for having horses, where people who go on walks admire when horses pass by, when those with horses stop and spred knowlege about horses and their roots and where a horse can feel free and run around, play around with other horses and get fresh air. Dogs have their own little play arena in the same park why take that away from horses? Years of genergations just to build a field that can be build any other place in the park seems unfair and inequitable to those happy familys who enjoy and have fun in that arena.
Please don’t take the arena it is a outlet for the horses to exercise and the riders to help support a legacy of passing of family traditions. The arena supports healthy horse family outdoor fun.