10 Tips for Riding Your Own Horse on the Beach

Every horse girl dreams of racing her trusty steed at the ocean’s foamy shore. Earlier this summer I found out two friends, Raquel (@horsesandheels_) and Isabelle (@modernequestrian) were heading to the beach for the first time with their own horses. I thought this was exciting, and asked to tag along. I wanted the inside scoop on what it’s really like to introduce your own horse to its first beach experience! This is something I want to do with my horse Knight, and I longed for a behind-the-scenes look. I’ve ridden horses on the beach before, but never my own. That will be unforgettable!

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Here’s what I gleaned from being a tag along person on a trailer trip to the Pacific with my friends and their two horses, Fira and Champ. I present 10 tips for riding your own horse on the beach.

1. Know the beach restrictions ahead of time.

The beach my friends went to in Ventura County, California allows horses until 10 a.m. They had to plan around the time frame, working backwards to determine what time to leave in the morning (it was early as they are about an hour away). Some beaches might only allow horses during certain seasons. Be sure you talk to a friend or acquaintance who has been to the beach before to get the scoop.

2. Plan parking in advance.

It never would have occurred to me (since I don’t own a truck and trailer–yet!), to ensure the parking lot near the horse beach had adequate space for a truck and trailer. In the case of the beach we went to, the lot itself was small, but there was street parking along the residential road leading up to the parking lot. Thankfully no one else was there, enabling Raquel to pull into the first spot, meaning she would not have to back out.

After our adventure, Raquel simply put her truck in drive, pulling forward and we were on our merry way. Raquel told me she drove (in her car) over to the beach one day to scope out the situation before the beach trip day. Advance planning for riding your own horse on the beach is essential!

Read 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Horse Trailer

3. Take water for your horse.

Just because the beach is water adjacent, doesn’t mean there will be any fresh water for your horse to drink. Unless you know there’s a nearby spigot for spraying off sandy feet, expect the horse beach to not have water. Now if you are going to a freshwater lake, perhaps you can skip this preparation step. Cantering along the beach is a good workout and your horse will be thirsty. Bring at least a few gallons of water so your pony can wet his whistle. Raquel had a water container something like this, the kind you’d use for camping.

4. Make sure your horse is a solid loader before you go to the beach.

There are so many reasons to train your horse to be an easy loader! Where I live and keep my horse Knight, wildfires are common (click here to read about our barn fire a few years ago). In an emergency situation you need your horse to load fast for safety’s sake. That said, if your horse is an inconsistent loader you might not get to have your beach adventure in the first place, or you might have a frustrating experience trying to get back home after your fun beach ride.

I know based on several conversations with Raquel that she would not entertain the thought of going to the beach until she felt confident her horse would load easily for the ride home. Hours and hours of patience and good trailer training are a prerequisite to riding your own horse on the beach.

5.  Practice traffic safety at home first.

The beach we went to required walking along a side street and then through a parking lot by a train track. (If  you scroll up to the photo with the sign, you can see the train track to the right. No trains came by while we were in the area, but it might be good to check out the schedule if possible.)

My friends’ horses live in an urban area and have had tons of exposure to city streets and cars, so for them, it was no big deal. If your horse is used to a more rural setting, you should consider riding them near parking lots and cars if possible before your beach trip.

6.  Do your homework for umbrella safety and other distractions such as people and dogs.

Once you make it from the parking lot to the beach, there will still be “opportunities” for your horse to spook at things such as beach umbrellas and kids playing in the sand. I don’t recall seeing dogs on the beach during our morning, but if horses are allowed, dogs will presumably be allowed too. The point I’m trying to make is you need to work on your relationship with your horse at home, making sure he or she pays attention to you, because going to a horse beach for the first time is going to introduce all kinds of stiumli that your steed might not be exposed to at the barn.

7.  Take along a ground person if possible (for photos and more).

Raquel and Isabel are pretty independent horse ladies, but I tried to help by holding a horse or picking up horse gear and putting it back in the trailer. I also poured out water into a small bucket for Champ and Fira to drink. I also was able to take a bunch of pictures and video with my real camera (I broke down and bought this Nikon–and love it!) and cell phone camera.

8. Plan your tack and clothes accordingly.

Depending on how adventurous you would like to get and how willing your horse is to go into the water, you might want to wear your oldest riding clothes and use synthetic tack (if you have it). Although I have never ridden in my own tack in salt water, I’m thinking back to how salt used on winter roads in Illinois  damaged leather. Basically, dress the opposite of your show clothes and you should be good.

9. School in water before taking your horse to ride at the beach.

This year I’ve had a chance to ride Knight through the water at our boarding barn’s cross country course, prior to that, he was a stinker about even crossing puddles! I’m not sure how he would do at the beach. Fira and Champ had been on another trail ride in which there was a river (I saw the videos of them splashing around on Instagram), but ocean water is another beast. First off, it’s noisier. Also, it has less of a boundary than a cross country course water element or river or stream. It can come at you.

If your horse has not been in ocean water, don’t be disappointed if he or she is reluctant to get in or go near the shoreline. It might take your horse time and multiple beach trips to get acclimated.

10. Check the tide charts first! 

I would not have thought of this, but Isabelle (who is a native Southern Californian) said to be sure to check the tides chart. It would be miserable to go to the beach and find out it’s mostly underwater at that time of the day. Here is a link to check tides if you are also in California. With a little Googling you can find the tides near you.

All the training and baby steps you can take with your horse at home will help pay off for a super fun day riding your own horse at the beach. Can you picture the scene from the Black Stallion movie with Alec, hands out to the side galloping along without a care in the world? That could be you and your horse one day. If you plan ahead and think through these 10 tips for riding your own horse at the beach, I’m sure you can make your riding dream a reality.

Thanks for reading and tally ho! 

Leave a Comment: Have you ridden your own horse at the beach? What was that experience like? Do you have any tips we need to know? Drop a line in the comment section. 

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