Honolulu has ordered Aloha Riding Lessons to leave Koko Crater Stables by January 15, 2027, but the departure order does not settle what will happen to the facility. For three and a half years, the program has let Hawaii Kai children groom, saddle and ride horses while its operator waited for a full contract.
Owner Kim Hollandsworth told KHON2 that Aloha Riding Lessons operated at the 10-acre property under a right of entry while the city worked out contract terms. She said the company built out the barn, mowed the grounds, repaired perimeter fencing, handled ongoing maintenance and installed a round pen as it waited for the contract to begin.
The stables are in Koko Head Regional Park, adjacent to Koko Crater Botanical Garden, and have been described by the city as a problem property, Hollandsworth said. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported this past spring that the city had linked an earlier eviction notice, which gave Hollandsworth until June 30 to leave, to plans to rehabilitate the aging stable facility, built in the early 1960s. The city later canceled that notice before issuing the current order to vacate by January 15.
A Program Built Around Access, Not Pedigree
For supporters, the program offers a rare entry point into horseback riding. Hawaii Kai resident Herb Schreiner told KHON2 that children can learn to clean up, groom horses and put on saddles without a dress code or having to own a horse. He said he was disappointed and angry about the eviction and warned that losing the program would set back horseback riding in Hawaii.
The future of equestrian use at the site remains uncertain. Hollandsworth told KHON2 she is concerned a similar vendor may not take over and believes horses may not return. Schreiner said the neighborhood board wants Koko Crater Stables to remain a community asset. The question of management, public access and the city's long-term plans has surfaced repeatedly: KITV4 has reported on years of disputes at the stables, and Honolulu Civil Beat has described the facility as Oahu's last remaining municipal equestrian facility, which provided horseback riding and lessons to thousands over nearly six decades.
City Says It Will Weigh All Options
A city communications director told KHON2 that Aloha Riding Lessons would have a reasonable period to leave and that officials would assess the site's best future use with community input, considering all options, including continued equestrian activities. The city said it was excited to maximize community benefits from the asset but declined to discuss specifics of its contract with Aloha Riding Lessons.
The uncertainty around the site's future predates the current departure order. Civil Beat reported in 2019 that the city had canceled an earlier five-year award for the stables and planned to seek more community input. KHON2 has also reported that the city has weighed converting the stables into a botanical garden. The Star-Advertiser reported that the site needs work on grounds, fencing, irrigation and structural issues, but no rehabilitation timeline or cost estimate has been made public.
What City Records Say About the Site
The site's operating history includes a previous closure and reversal. Honolulu City Council Resolution 19-223 says the city closed Koko Crater Stables in May 2016 because of aging facilities and the operator's expired permit, then allowed it to reopen in November 2016 after public feedback and work by community groups.
This isn't even the first time Aloha Riding Lessons has been caught in the stables' bidding process. KHON2 previously reported that the company and Horse Haven LLC both submitted bids for the property, with Aloha Riding Lessons initially winning — only to later be notified it did not meet all necessary qualifications, after which the lease was not awarded to the company. Horse Haven's earlier involvement at the stables was as a bidder.
Not Just a Hawaii Kai Problem
Hawaii Kai's standoff mirrors fights playing out at city-run equestrian facilities elsewhere. In Pasadena, the City Council voted unanimously on October 20 to authorize terminating Rose Bowl Riders' lease at Hahamongna Watershed Park, setting a deadline to vacate by the end of January, according to the Pasadena Star-News. That city had issued — then rescinded — an earlier notice to quit after an anonymous email alleged a Brown Act violation, and city staff have agreed to send out a new request for proposals for the site by February 1.
In Marina, California, the city is evicting the Marina Equestrian Center's concessionaire over alleged violations of a 2022 agreement, including failure to maintain the property, lapses in insurance coverage and unauthorized assignment of the agreement, Monterey County Now reported. Marina's City Council has since asked staff to draft a new request for proposals that could preserve equestrian use alongside other recreational options — a path Hawaii Kai residents are hoping their own city follows rather than losing riding access altogether.
