How to Go Horseback Riding on the Beach

If you enjoy horseback riding and beautiful scenery, one of the most popular and romantic places to be on a horse is along the beach. By removing yourself from the hustle and bustle of a busy city, riding alongside the water, especially during sunset, can be breathtaking.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Book a Horseback Riding Tour for the Beach

1. Search the Internet for horseback riding businesses that offer tours along the beach. If you're going on vacation, then contact the city's chamber of commerce or tourist's bureau for localized information. You could also ask the hotels or bed-and-breakfasts in the area which stables they use for horseback riding, and then check with the stables to see if they offer riding along the beach.

2. Check to see if there's a minimum age requirement if you have children. Certain tours are more family-based than others. If you want something a little more romantic, then it's best to secure a tour where there's an age restriction, minimizing the risk of being disrupted by youngsters.

3. Ask what the tour entails. If the tour begins at the stables, then ask how long it takes to get to the beach. Find out if you can have a picnic on the beach once you arrive. Ask how many people usually make up a tour.

4. Dress appropriately. Some horseback riding tours start in denser areas, which may require you to wear longer clothing. Ideally you should dress in layers, especially if you're on a sunset ride. The weather becomes cooler when the sun sets. Water also tends to cool the air.

Bring Your Own Horse to Ride on the Beach

5. Purchase a special permit if riding on your own. Some beaches charge a fee while others offer a permit free of charge.

6. Check the times when you can ride along the beach. Most locations allow for riding daily from sunrise to sunset and only during certain months of the year. But there may be certain restrictions due to holidays, festivals or spring breaks.

7. Determine where you can ride your horse if you bring your own. Inquire about specific stopping points when purchasing your permit.

8. Ask if there are specific training or group workshops that you need to take. Depending on what beach you ride on, these courses are offered to make riders aware of any endangered wildlife you may come across while riding. Sometimes these classes can be taken online.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to remove all horse droppings from areas where people walk or from parking lots.
• Be careful when riding your horse along the beach. Some horses can lose their footing in the shifting sand in the surf.

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on 10/30/2009 Also,don't expect your horse to be able to walk through dry sand any better than you can. Get off and lead your horse if you have to. Get a tide table and check it. Low tide gives you more area to ride, and any manure is flushed away with the incoming tide. Don't let yourself get caught at high tide where you can't get out.