Mounted police opt for equine transportation so they don’t have to deal with the squad car's wailing thirst for gas and justice. Avoid similar automotive appetites with today's Groupon: for $75, you get three one-hour beginner horseback-riding lessons at San Pascual Stables in South Pasadena (a $150 value).

Nestled amidst the Arroyo Seco and San Gabriel mountains, San Pascual Stables enchants visitors with natural beauty and an enthusiastic crew of trainers continuing a 34-year tradition of equine education. During an expertly guided horsemanship class, trainees learn the basics under the wing of a trainer well versed in hunter and jumper riding. After a series of three lessons, clients are likely to feel more at home on horseback, and can swiftly opt into future lessons, in which they can learn how to further care for their creature and how to properly parallel park it in front of a crowded saloon.