TLDR: If you’re an average tourist just wanting a pretty horseback stroll on the beach, you’ll probably be fine. The scenery is beautiful, the horses are saints, and the guides are nice. Just don’t expect competence… or safety… or stirrups that fit…
The Longer Review:
We booked this ride knowing it would be a basic tourist experience, not a clinic, not a lesson, just a fun beach ride. We weren’t expecting anything high-level. Even with that, the trip was a shock in terms of the safety issues, lack of experience, and overall disorganization.
For context: between us, we ride seven days a week and have been doing so for 10+ years (eventing, foxhunting, cattle work, you name it). So the best part of this experience was honestly the sheer indignation we got to laugh about afterward.
Shortened Ride & Chaotic Start:
The ride was advertised as two hours. Ours ran from 9:30 to 10:45, and that included waiting around because people showed up late. By the time everyone mounted, half the “tour” had passed, and the actual riding time ended up extremely short.
We suspect they cut it short because the horses were fresh on the beach (which happens!) but with even two more minutes of instruction (“heels down,” “sit centered,” “how to hold the reins”), the beginners would’ve been much better prepared. Instead all we got was “pull to turn”.
We were a group of eight total: five complete beginners, plus the three of us who ride daily. Nobody fell off, to their credit.
The Horses:
The horses themselves were kind, tolerant, and doing their absolute best despite everything. They are not dangerous horses. They could use better feeding, grooming, and tack, but they tried their hearts out.
One poor horse even had a dried dead lizard stuck in his tail, so… that’s the level of grooming attention happening here.
The Tack (Rusted, Ill-Fitting, and Downright Unsafe):
This was the most concerning part:
• Rusted tack
• Kid-sized stirrups with no ability to adjust length
• Turned stirrups
• Ill-fitting saddles and bridles
• Girths so loose you could fit a fist under them
• “The cinch is loose.” // “The what?”
• Rope halters tied incorrectly and tied to hitching posts unsafely (we run cattle and use rope halters every day, this wasn’t it)
• Bits and bridles that didn’t remotely fit the horses
• A browband that was too small to go over both ears and slid halfway down a horse’s neck
5-inch curbs were being used, absolutely inappropriate for novices. We saw one small rear because a beginner accidentally pulled too hard on the curb. This setup could very easily flip a horse.
The Guides: Kind, But Not Competent
Everyone was very nice. Great customer service, genuinely pleasant people.
But horsemanship-wise? They didn’t know how to:
• Adjust tack
• Tie a rope halter
• Tighten a girth
• Use a saddle horn
• Slow a horse
• Put their heels down
• Or actually ride
One of the assistant guides openly said they had been riding for two weeks total.
With a group of mostly beginners, this should be a 3:1 rider-to-guide ratio. As is, it felt unsafe.
They pointed out plants on the trail, but none of us could hear a word, so the “tour” part didn’t amount to much.
Environmental Hazards: Quicksand!
We rode straight into quicksand deep enough to take horses up to their hocks before turning around. That should never happen with an experienced guide.
Pace of Ride
We specifically booked a morning ride hoping for a chance to gallop or canter on the beach. That did not happen, which was understandable with beginners in the group, but we also got the sense the guides themselves weren’t comfortable with that pace.
If you want a more placid ride, book for the evening when the horses are more tired. Morning = fresh.
The Good Stuff:
• The scenery was truly stunning, absolutely postcard-worthy.
• Horses were patient, forgiving, and clearly trying their best despite circumstances.
• Staff were polite and friendly.
• Helmets were offered (though we don’t think they were cleaned, and they definitely weren’t certified riding helmets, more like skateboarding helmets).
Final Takeaway:
For casual tourists with zero horse experience, the ride will probably feel fun simply because the horses and scenery carry the day. But from a safety, tack, and horsemanship standpoint? This operation needs serious improvement.
We had a memorable time, but mostly because we had so much to gossip about afterward. Sorry to be those people xx
I thought it was a great deal as it was advertised as 3 1/2 hours of horseback riding. But the actual horseback riding was only about one hour, on top of that they charge $20 a person for a park entry fee. I did not see any park signs anywhere. It feels like I got totally scammed. The actual ride was very nice and our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. It’s a beautiful nature ride and they are involved in turtle conservation which is nice. At the end, they pressure you to buy very expensive pictures also