‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ Fact Check: Did the Manson Family Give Horseback Riding Tours?

(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t seen Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.”) In Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” we get a glimpse into the lives of the Manson family, including what TV shows they liked to watch (“FBI”), and their tranquil days offering riding tours around Spahn Movie Ranch. Wait: Did members of Charles Manson’s cult really take people on horseback trail tours? Also Read: Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood': How the Stars Compare to Real-Life Characters (Photos) Yes. Yes, they did. Vincent Bugliosi, author of “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” and prosecutor in the 1970 trial of Charles Manson, said the horses were “the main business” of the ranch. George Spahn let the Manson family live on his ranch, rent-free, in exchange for labor and helping out with the horse-riding business, according to David J. Krajicek’s book, “Charles Manson: The Man Who Murdered the Sixties.” Former Manson family member Dianne Lake, who was 14 at the time she followed Manson, told HISTORY that the family members would care for the horses, and occasionally rent them out for rides. Even Tarantino himself at a Cannes...