Quick answers
- Is Los Compadres Stables still open?
- No. Los Compadres in Palm Springs closed when Mike, the owner, stepped back from boarding. The phone number still rings to him, but he doesn't run a stable anymore.
- Where do travelers go now?
- Rancho Escondido in Indio, about 20 minutes east of where Los Compadres used to be. We're an overnight stop for travelers hauling between Phoenix and Los Angeles. Rates start at $80, two minutes off I-10 at the Dillon Road exit.
- How do I reach Rancho Escondido?
- 85321 Ave 44, Indio, CA 92203. Call (760) 289-8236 if you're already on the road. Get the details here.
You probably already know Mike if you've been hauling horses through this part of the desert for any length of time. He ran Los Compadres Stables off El Cielo Road in Palm Springs for years, and he was the guy you called when you were coming in on I-10 and needed somewhere to stop overnight. He still answers the phone like he runs the place.
We've known Mike a long time. He's been around horses longer than most people we know, still has two pintos he won't part with, and moved out to Indio a few years back. There was a stretch where he kept boarding at the polo grounds, but the festivals made that complicated and he stepped back. Los Compadres is closed now. He's not in the boarding business anymore.
What didn't stop was the phone. People still call the old listing. Travelers still type "Los Compadres Stables" into Google and end up with his number. He picks up. And if you're coming through with horses, he points you our way.
What we noticed
At Rancho Escondido, traveling riders kept showing up on Ave 44. They'd say Mike sent me, or I called the number on Maps. Sometimes they'd just show up at 11 PM with a trailer and a tired horse, having followed their phone to wherever the phone put them. The lights are on. The escaramuza arena is here, the stables are here, there's always someone on the property after dark. So we put them up.
The horse community out here is small enough that the names show up over and over. So when a traveler said the wrong stable name, we knew what they meant.
Making it official
Eventually we made it less of a happy accident. We added an overnight boarding page to the site. We picked a starting rate ($80, which felt fair for what we offer). We moved the GPS pin to the actual entrance, because Maps had been sending people to a field. We made it easier to call.
Where the calls land now
We're not Los Compadres, and Mike's not back in the boarding business. But the role he played is the same one we play now: open at night, lights on, someone awake when you pull in. He picks up the phone and sends you here. We pick up the phone and walk you in.
If you're reading this because you searched for Los Compadres Stables, or because Mike told you to call, you're in the right place. The address is 85321 Ave 44, Indio, CA 92203. Call (760) 289-8236 if you're already on the road.
Two minutes off I-10 at the Dillon Road exit, behind Love's and the TA. Most nights we're open. Call before you arrive so we're expecting you.
Coming through tonight?
Overnight horse boarding at Rancho Escondido. Rates start at $80. Two minutes off I-10 at the Dillon Road exit. Call for details.
Get the Details