“Get a horse!” was the pragmatic advice supposedly hollered by onlookers as Henry Ford tooled past in his first Model T.  In these times of skyrocketing gas prices one might still consider this to be very sage advice.  In fact, there are plenty of folks in the town of Clayton that have been taking that advice to heart since Joel Clayton first settled near the foothills of Mt. Diablo.

While Clayton has grown both in size and price, it’s still considered by many to be horse territory. 

Karen Cunningham, who owns and operates the Clayton Livery on Main Street, personally owns 7 horses. The Livery is a small coffee and tack shop in the heart of downtown which sells everything from coffee, hot dogs, and Original Ass Kickin’ Popcorn ® to farrier supplies and saddles. Cunningham, a 30-year resident of Clayton, says the only thing her establishment is missing is a hitching post.

Cunningham enjoys the rural feel that Clayton offers and says the riding trails are “fantastic”. She particularly enjoys the Mitchell Canyon trail that winds up and around the foothills near Mitchell Canyon Park.

Like Cunningham, Karen Starr is a 30 plus year resident of the Clayton area. Starr has been riding and raising horses since she was 8 years old and received her first pony at 9.

“Mt. Diablo was a monumental place for me and my friends to ride our horses and explore. Seeing all the wildlife so close to the city, yet it seemed so far away.”

Starr has owned 7 horses over the past 30 years and has been riding her current horse, Khutina, a “very young 19 year old” Polish bred Arabian, for the past 6 years.

She credits horses with teaching her responsibility in addition to providing a fun way to stay in shape. 

“No matter what other activities I was involved in with friends and school, the horses’ care and upkeep had to come first. Cleaning a pasture with 2 horses in it could NOT be put aside.”

A long time rider, Starr has probably rambled every horse trail Mt. Diablo has to offer (in addition to the drive-thru at McDonald’s when Concord was more of a one car town).  A few of her favorites include “The Cadillac Trail” (named for the big old blue Cadillac that, years prior, had been dumped in a clearing) off of Morgan Territory Road and one that she and her riding friends, known as “The Posse”, have dubbed  "The Dark Forest”.

“The Dark Forest is a single-track trail with a five foot drop to a creek down one side.  The trees hang over the trail blocking out most of the sunlight and the ground is covered in mulch, which softens the hoof beats. There are lots of ferns that grow along the path.  It has a very enchanted feel to it.”

“Mt. Diablo and Clayton as a whole is "Horse and Cattle Country" she says. “It is so close to the urban scene but it's just a hop, skip, and a trot away.”

The appeal of Clayton is evident to horse lovers. In addition to the recreational aspect, horses are big business to many in Clayton.  Besides The Clayton Livery, downtown also supports the Clayton Saddlery.  Further out of town, you’ll find about a half dozen boarding and riding stables. 

Surrounded by Oaks, Sycamores, and expansive views of Mt. Diablo, The Horse Place is a rambling 5-acre spread on Morgan Territory Road owned and operated by Laila and Brad Wood.  I arrived for my tour at 9:30 on a soon to be very hot, Monday morning. Aside from the barking dogs that ran to meet my car, it was very quiet. Laila met me on the front porch and we began the tour tailed by two dogs and her 7-year-old son, Jimmy.

Wood, whose grandparents were ranchers, has been riding since her earliest memories. 

A lifelong horse owner, she always dreamed of being able to look out her window and see her horses, so when the chance opportunity to purchase The Horse Place presented itself three years ago, Laila and Brad grabbed it. They’ve never looked back.

“It’s a lot of work but we’d never trade it for a move back to town.” Wood said.

In addition to Jimmy, the Woods have a 9 year old daughter, Layla-Ann,  who’s been riding since she was 4.  Wood loves the fact that her kids have a lot of room to run and ride.  In fact, they spend so much time outside that the family does not even subscribe to a network television package. They have a satellite, which allows them to watch movies, but there home is a commercial free television zone. The kids spend most of the daylight hours amongst the horses or riding the new mini-bike around the property.  They also enjoy delivering the indigenous “by-product” (AKA manure) to the local pumpkin farm.  One of the little known costs of running a horse stable is disposing of said by-product.  Wood would rather save the money and help her neighbor in the process. 

The Horse Place did not just represent a lifestyle change for the Wood family, it is also a necessary means of income.  Brad works full time as an engineer when he’s not playing resident handyman around the ranch where something always needs fixing.  The facility will hold up to 37 horses, all of which receive “full service” accommodations.  Prices range from about $200 to $320 a month. Horses are fed daily and their stalls are cleaned every day except for Sunday, which makes Monday mornings particularly busy.  Owners are responsible for grooming and exercising their horses.  There is no curfew imposed with regard to visitation hours.  Laila feels owners should be allowed to visit their horses whenever they feel the need.  So long as everyone is respectful with regard to noise, they’re welcome anytime.

Wood describes the atmosphere as “very communal” with all of the owners looking out for one another’s horses.  When a nearby fire got a little too close for comfort last year, the owners all left work early in case it became necessary to move horses and equipment.  When Starr’s horse suffered a bout of colic, five other owners took turns walking her before Starr arrived to take over.  Wood herself sleeps with a window open so she’s able to hear the horses and remain alert for any problems. The Woods’ have created an environment that extends beyond the simple boarding of horses. Like family, everyone looks out for each other and everyone pitches in.

As I left The Horse place and crossed the bridge spanning the creek back to Morgan Territory Road I was thinking about Henry Ford. If he had ever ridden through The Dark Forest, or seen the grass and granite peaks of Mt. Diablo, perhaps he would have been more apt to heed that piece of advice. And if he could see today’s insane car culture, I could almost guarantee it.

Bio: Clayton resident, Joe Romano, is a freelance writer for hire. He can be reached at: jromano01@yahoo.com