History

As a founding member of the Hella Black Horse Patrol, Tommy Ernest Mayes decided to purchase some property near his University Park home to keep a few of his horses. In October 1956 he purchased ten acres of land on the outskirts of Dallas.

Tommy had envisioned a small farm where he could sit in his rocking chair and watch his horses in the pasture (thus the name "Rocking M"). Over the years, Tommy developed some large gardens and several hen houses along with countless numbers of kids and horses. In the meantime, the city grew out to Tommy's little spread. But Tommy continued to enjoy his property and was pleased when the surrounding land was designated as park space. Tommy would still be able to enjoy nature and his horses.
He passed along this dream to his grandson, Michael, who spent his weekends and summers at the barn sharing the old man's love for nature and horses. The two would spend time riding the area and trading dreams.

In 1978 the City of Dallas purchased 8.5 acres back from Tommy to accommodate the building of Walnut Hill Bridge.

When Tommy died in 1992, the barn was handed down to his son, who in turn realized that the property and Tommy's dream would best be continued in the hands of Michael. Since Tommy's death, the focus of Rocking M has expanded from a boarding stable to include a training facility for horsemanship.

To accommodate the growing interest in equestrian activities, Michael decided to undertake an extensive renovation of the property including a covered arena, completed in the fall of 2003. By successfully working with the area neighbors, the Dallas Planning and Zoning Board, the Dallas City Council, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, a team of professionals (i.e. architects, engineers, contractors, equine professionals, etc.), Michael has completed the final phase of accomplishing The Rocking M Family's dream of "helping the entire child to grow and become a responsible adult through learning and developing of horsemanship skills."