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Driving through the bucolic town of Woodside, visitors might be lucky enough to see a local equestrian riding their horse on a trail or spot a horse grazing in a resident’s paddock. Woodside is known for its strong equestrian culture, but local horse riders say the equestrian spirit is declining among new residents. A number of women in town are working hard to preserve it.
While there were about 3,000 horses in Woodside in the 1990s, now there are only 300, according to local equestrian Bree-Anna Vail.
Across multiple equestrian organizations such as the Woodside-area Horse Owners Association (WHOA) and the San Mateo County Horseman’s Association, women are leading efforts to educate the community, spread awareness of local horse culture and preserve the legacy of equestrianism.
Over the years, those efforts have included saving barns, advocating for horses on trails and teaching youth about horses. From fundraising to restoring the historic Folger Stable, founding the annual Day of the Horse event and leading youth education programs, women have taken the reins.
A shifting culture
To protect the equestrian heritage of Woodside, a group of local women joined together to form WHOA in the early 2000s, after the “horse-friendly feel” of Woodside began to shift, said Donna Poy, a founding member.
“A lot of (change) came from the fact that more people were moving to Woodside that were not horse people and didn’t understand horse culture,” Poy added. “Suddenly it seemed like we were getting more challenges from neighbors.”
One tangible example of Woodside’s equestrian heritage is the network of trails that criss-cross the town, winding through private properties and alongside roads.
Equestrians said that the horse community is seeing less advocacy for horses on trails with the increase of cars and bikes. Decades ago, drivers would slow down and wave if they saw a horse rider on the road.
“Nowadays, you’re lucky to get across the street with your horse without getting hit,” Poy said.
Woodside horse owners believe that the rise of smartphones and computers has transformed the slow pace of life that the town once fostered, changing the level of appreciation that the community has for barn life.
Jo Egenes, steering committee member of WHOA, said the equestrian lifestyle also requires dedication, time and patience, a way of life that is opposite from the Silicon Valley pressure cooker. Horse riding also has become a lot more expensive since Egenes started over 60 years ago, she added.
As Woodside brings in more billionaires and affluent individuals, the rundown barns and stables are being torn down and replaced by private tennis courts and accessory dwelling units, said Egenes and Poy.
Protecting Woodside’s equestrian legacy
One of Woodside’s most well-known events is Day of the Horse, hosted by WHOA every October. The celebration was created in the early 2000s by Poy and Fenestress Hall, who wanted to encourage the community to embrace and understand equine culture.
The event features a trail ride catered toward “horsey people” and a horse fair for “non-horsey people that they hope to make horsey,” said Poy. Day of the Horse has grown to become a two-day weekend event.
In 2004, the town passed a resolution recognizing the second Saturday of October as Day of the Horse, prior to its inaugural event in 2005. In its first year, Day of the Horse drew 272 people to the trail ride and about 500 people to the horse fair, said Poy.
Now, the horse fair brings in nearly 2,000 attendees from across the Bay Area and beyond.
However, the original intent of Day of the Horse — to encourage people to get involved in equestrianism — has evolved. It’s become more of a Woodside tourist attraction, bringing in families who are looking for a free weekend activity. But despite the change, Poy likes to think that Day of the Horse is still effective in exposing people to horses and allowing them to experience them up close.
To date, WHOA has contributed over $556,000 in donations to support youth riding programs, hitching racks, park trail maintenance and horse shows.
Renovation of Folger Stable, preserving history
Another pillar of Woodside equestrian history is Folger Stable, a once-opulent remnant of the Folger estate in what’s now Wunderlich County Park. By 2004, the 1905 structure was in dire need of renovation, and had been in shabby conditions for years — holes in the ceiling, rotting wood and a children’s wading pool being used to collect rainwater in the loft.
It took five years to convince the community to renovate the barn, said Susan Lang, who led the Folger Stable renovation project. The fundraising efforts began in 2004 as the Folger Stable Committee kicked off its campaign. The renovation was completed in 2010, costing $3.3 million.
Poy, who served alongside Lang on the committee, said Lang was a major pillar in pushing for the completion of the renovation. She was “gracious but tenacious,” Poy added.
“Had she not done that, the whole barn would have just fallen,” she said. “It was in very bad shape.”
The remodeled Folger Stable converted the carriage room into a museum, featuring exhibits that tell the story of the Folger estate’s history of farm work, horse riding and lumber milling. The museum has also become a hot spot for school field trips, creating opportunities for younger generations to learn about the equestrian lifestyle.
Bree-Anna Vail laughs as Sawyer the horse lifts a bucket at the Folger Estate Stable in Woodside on May 29, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
Bree-Anna Vail talks about horses at the Folger Estate Stable in Woodside on May 29, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
Bree-Anna Vail shows Sawyer the horse to a class of third graders on a field trip at the Folger Estate Stable in Woodside on May 29, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray.
Vail, a Woodside resident, volunteers at Folger Stable in a program hosted in collaboration between the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks and the San Mateo County Historical Association.
She’s been in the program since the barn restoration in 2010 and has worked with thousands of elementary school-age children teaching them about horses. In late May, Vail taught her last program for the school year with a horse named Sawyer by her side. She said her goal is to keep kids interested in horses, teach them not to be intimidated, keep them off of screens and bring them outdoors.
Vail also does “public relations” on her own time and rides her mustang Gracie down to Buck’s Restaurant or Robert’s Market.
“I love to ride down, have the kids come out, pet Gracie, take pictures with her and try to encourage kids to want to enjoy horses,” Vail said. “If we can get more of the young people to beg their parents for a horse, that’ll be our best shot.”
‘The end of the trail’
As many of the women active in the equestrian community are aging out, Vail highlights the importance of bringing younger generations into horse riding. The majority of Woodside women equestrians are between 60-90 years old.
While equestrians like Vail are volunteering their time to educate youth about equestrianism and its local history, there’s competition between the plethora of extracurriculars that kids can choose from, said Poy. Children might join a soccer team or take art and music classes instead. As Woodside experiences a shift in culture, equestrian heritage is at risk of a continued decline, she said.
Poy, who recently put down her 34-year-old horse, explained that many people in her age group between 70-80 years old are not getting another horse after their current horse dies. “It’s kind of the end of the trail,” she said.
Egenes and Poy said with the changes in equestrian culture, their current goal is to have local people “tolerate” horses. Not everyone has to become a horserider but they should appreciate and respect them, said Egenes.
“It’s really important that people can appreciate the value of the horses here at Woodside,” she added. “I just want the people to hopefully enjoy seeing the horses on the trail because it’s just such an important part of this town.”
