Malibu Riders looks for its next wrangler
By Judy Abel · Sat Aug 01 2026
After three decades on the trail its owner decides to sell
After 30 years of introducing visitors and locals to Malibu's backcountry one hoof step at a time, Laura Toston is ready to hand over the reins of Malibu Riders.
Toston is selling the entire guided horseback riding business as one package — including its trained trail horses, equipment, permits, and established operation. Toston, who founded Malibu Riders in 1995 and has spent the past three decades leading guided rides through the scenic Zuma Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains, says she is ready to try something new.
A Malibu native who grew up in Malibou Lake, Toston said the mountains surrounding Malibu Creek State Park were her childhood playground. As an endurance rider who competed in long-distance horseback races throughout California, she came to know every trail and eventually designed routes that showcased the area's most spectacular views. "I knew every loop around here that was the prettiest loop," she said. "I wanted people to experience that."
Today, Malibu Riders offers one-hour, 90-minute, or two-hour guided rides for groups of up to eight guests. Along the way, thousands of riders — many of them first-timers — have met Toston's patient equine partners, including Trillion, Maddie, India, Malaysia, Tibet, Aries, and Addis, horses that have quietly carried nervous beginners, adventurous tourists, and lifelong horse lovers across Malibu's rolling hills.
For Toston, the horses have always been more than trail companions. "They bond with the kids," she said. "I get letters all the time with drawings of their favorite horse. Some families come back over and over again, and even some divorced dads bring their kids every other weekend because they love riding with their children so much."
One memory has stayed with her throughout the years. Early in her career, a young boy with autism arrived for a ride. Before mounting his horse, he was energetic and difficult to settle. Once he climbed aboard, everything changed. "He rode better than probably anyone else that was on a horse," Toston recalled. "He calmed down. It just changed who he was."
Although she is stepping away from the business, Toston emphasizes that Malibu Riders is thriving. In addition to daily trail rides, the horses are booked for television commercials, photo shoots, proposals and private events. "The business is booming," she said. "I'm turning people away.” Her decision to sell has nothing to do with demand.
Instead, Toston has discovered a new passion: organic farming. She hopes to devote her time to growing fresh produce, raising chickens and goats, and offering visitors a hands-on farm experience centered on locally grown food. She also hopes horseback riding continues to have a place in Malibu.
When she was growing up, horses were a common sight throughout Malibu and the Agoura area. Today, she says, many equestrian properties have given way to large homes, and trails once shared by riders have changed dramatically.
"I'd love to see someone continue it," she said. "It's such a fun, beautiful business. People come from Los Angeles and can't believe they're still in L.A. You get to watch people experience nature, and nobody's ever mad about horseback riding."
For the right buyer, Toston isn't simply selling a business. She's passing along a well-established Malibu tradition — complete with experienced horses that know every bend in the trail, from dependable Trillion to globe-trotting namesakes India and Malaysia.
The horses are not being sold individually, nor is any real property for sale. After all, some friendships deserve to stay together. That's why Toston insists the horses will ride into their next chapter as one herd, alongside the business they've helped build for more than three decades.
"I'd really love to see somebody who is as passionate as I am about it," said Toston of the next owner.
