Members of the Chicago area's equestrian community banded together in an effort to halt the planned closure of the Palatine Stables, which has cemented itself as a horse lover's haven for decades.
On Tuesday, community members learned that the Palatine Park District Board of Commissioners had voted to close the stables along Northwest Highway by the end of the summer season. However, horses will still be boarded at the site through November.
For one horse owner, Sabine Zielinski, news of the closure has stirred up a lot of emotions and prompted a fight to save the facility.
"Devastated, we have to change this outcome," she said. "This is such a vital part of this community, for not just Palatine, but the surrounding areas."
"We’re going to try our best to save this.. to do what we can to save this barn," Elizabeth Haferkamp, a horse rider, said. "It means so much to us."
The stables have been around since the early 1950s, providing riding lessons, boarding and therapy services for families. Nearly 300 people are enrolled in programming at the facility.
"We are a family here," Haferkamp said. "We make really strong connectors, and it’s also so therapeutic for people."
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"It has changed so many people's lives," said Jamie Berger, another horse owner. "There’s people that have been there for decades."
Terry Ruff, the park district's board president, told NBC Chicago that the decision to close was not easy, citing a recent structural assessment. He said it came down to safety issues and the cost to make the necessary repairs.
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"The renovation would have been over $2.6 million," Ruff explained. "That’s a lot of money just to keep the stables where it’s at. That wasn’t any improvements or making any changes to it. That’s just getting the stables back to where it is now."
Some families who have called the stables a second home said they were blindsided and claimed the board didn't provide prior notice of the vote.
Their main concern, however, was the well-being of the 36 horses that need to be re-homed in the coming months.
"There were no other alternatives presented," Zielinsky said. "There was no due diligence, nothing that was shown to us. There was no transparency."
Horse riders and owners have created a petition to save the stables. They plan to attend the next Board of Commissioners meeting on June 10 and urge the board to reconsider.
