On May 14, 2026, the Los Altos Hills City Council adopted a new three-year agreement for Westwind Community Barn. It renewed the longtime operator rather than bringing in a new one. Victoria Dye Equestrian, LLC has run the barn for more than a decade. The new agreement took effect July 1, 2026, and runs the 15-acre Town property at 27210 Altamont Road under terms that are more detailed than the 2023 version they replaced.
Most of that detail is about money and maintenance. The parts that touch a resident's ordinary week are spread through the document: when you can walk in, who gets the first lesson slot, which hour the upper arena is held for a children's program, and how many horses can graze the preserve next door. Taken together, they show that Westwind's public character is spelled out in the contract.
The Clause That Keeps the Barn Walkable
Section 3 of the agreement says the barn must operate under the name "Westwind Community Barn." It must be open to the public no earlier than half an hour before sunrise and no later than half an hour after sunset, seven days a week. The next sentence matters most if you walk past on a weekday afternoon. It says the public's right to "free physical access" holds during posted hours, and that "in no event shall the Facility be fenced and gated so as to prohibit such access during hours of operation."
The operator can still use whatever security measures it considers necessary for people and horses, and it secures the barn each night after closing. But during the day, Westwind works more like a park with horses in it than a private stable.
Residents First, With a Waitlist to Prove It
The same section covers who gets a spot when lessons and programs fill up. Programs are first-come, first-served, and Town residents "shall have priority at all times" over non-residents. When a program has more demand than space, the operator has to keep separate resident and non-resident waitlists that record the date and time each person signed up, and give copies to the Town when asked.
Two other requirements make that priority something residents can see for themselves. The operator has to publish and maintain a current schedule of fees for every service at the barn. It also has to post arena time allocations every week and ask facility users for input when schedules conflict.
The Victoria Dye Equestrian site lists individual and group lessons Tuesday through Sunday, boarding in stalls, paddocks and pasture, and camps during summer and school breaks. It also offers birthday lessons for children 5 and older at $50 per participant. The site says it is under construction, so check current openings and prices with the barn directly.
An Hour on the Upper Arena, Twice a Week
The most specific line in the agreement is a schedule. The operator must reasonably accommodate public community programs such as the Westwind Riding Institute and give WRI the upper arena on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m.
That hour goes back almost five decades. Westwind Riding Institute describes itself as a recreational riding program for children with disabilities, ages 6 to 18. Its lessons use mounted games to build coordination and balance, and some riders move on to riding independently. WRI's 2025 newsletter says the Town received the barn as a gift in 1975 with a condition that it benefit the community. WRI was founded in 1978 to meet that commitment to children with disabilities. The 2026 agreement puts that origin into a weekly schedule.
WRI's fall 2026 sessions run at 4 p.m. on these days:
- Mondays, September 14 through November 16
- Thursdays, September 17 through November 19
Classes continue through November 19, and the times match the contract's arena hour exactly. WRI accepts volunteers 14 and older for sidewalking, leading horses, horse care, and administrative or fundraising work. It provides orientation and safety training.
Ten Horses on the Preserve
The barn opens onto Byrne Preserve, and the contract also covers the shared space. The operator can pasture no more than 10 horses in Byrne Preserve. Up to eight of them may be school horses, and the agreement says school horses "must have a calm temperament due to the many other users of the Preserve." The contract accounts for walkers on the preserve when it sets the rules for horses.
Responsibilities on the preserve are divided. The operator reports fencing problems and maintains the watering troughs. The Town keeps fire breaks, paths, gates, fences, trails, trees and plants, and handles general stewardship of the preserve. The Los Altos Hills Horsemen's Association describes Byrne as a 55-acre preserve connected to both Westwind and Hidden Villa, with some pasture used by Westwind horses.
What the Renewal Changed Behind the Scenes
The access, priority and arena terms appear in the agreement as standing commitments. The changes are about keeping the barn working. The May 14 staff report lists these differences from the 2023 agreement:
| Term | 2023 agreement | 2026 agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Town's monthly management payment to the operator | $3,300 | $4,000 |
| Revenue split on training services | Grouped with other programs | 85% operator, 15% Town |
| Most riding programs and clinics | 80/20 and 82/18 splits | Unchanged |
| Horse shows allowed per year | Four | Five, subject to the use permit |
| Capital fund for the barn | None formally included | About $50,000 to $100,000 a year anticipated |
| Arena upkeep | Referenced generally | Formal lifecycle plan for the lower arena, upper arena and round pen |
| Town maintenance support | Major repairs, loosely defined | Up to 10 hours a month, plus twice-yearly walkthroughs |
The arena plan includes flipping, laser leveling and footing replacement on a set schedule. The review also added SafeSport and concussion awareness training to the safety standards. The staff report says that keeping Victoria Dye Equestrian "minimizes disruption to existing programs and boarders." It describes the overall package as supporting the Town's goals of preserving its equestrian character and maintaining public access.
A Barn the Town Has Protected Before
Those public-use terms have a history behind them. The Los Altos Town Crier has reported that the main barn dates to 1945 and was owned by Countess Margit Bessenyey. It was given to the Town in 1975, after the Town bought adjoining land. According to that account, a campaign in the mid-1970s saved the donated barn from demolition and development, and the Friends of Westwind then ran it as a nonprofit for about 30 years.
It came up again in 2002. The Town Crier reported on a proposal that year to move the barn into Byrne Preserve and sell the site. A resident petition followed, and the initiative it carried was adopted as law by the new Council in December 2002, making voter approval a requirement for any future sale. The 2026 agreement carries that history forward in its terms: a ban on gating during open hours, priority waitlists, and a weekly arena hour.
December 6 at the Barn
The next Town event at Westwind is the Barn Lighting on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 2 to 5 p.m. at 27210 Altamont Road. Details are on the Town of Los Altos Hills calendar. Victoria Dye Equestrian says the barn hosts five Town events and two of its own horse shows each year, and it directs visitors to the Town for dates. The barn's posted hours apply that afternoon as on any other day, so it will be open to anyone who walks up from the preserve trails.
This post summarizes a public agreement between the Town and its concessionaire for general interest. It is not legal advice, so for details about a particular program or situation, check with the Town or the barn.
Kiersten Ligeti and Patricia Karoubi follow the Town decisions behind places like Westwind, from barn contracts to the preserves and paths around them. If you'd like to talk through how these Los Altos Hills amenities fit into your plans, Kiersten Ligeti & Patricia Karoubi Team would be glad to hear from you. Book an Appointment.
