South Padre Island Riding Horses on the Beach

DJ was our lead guide for our horseback ride on the beach and after asking us a few questions about our riding experience, he gave us the name of the horse that he thought would fit our experience - for example my 6'5" son-in-law got Hercules and his 6 year old son got Little Stuff, mine should have been named "Beer Belly." And Mrs. Texas Outside was on Big Red (why I don't know, she is only 5'2" and Big Red is huge) who was a world class jumper and according to DJ he is now retired and living the easy life and taking leisurely strolls along the beach every day - sounds like a great life to me!

After assigning our horse DJ gave us a quick overview of our plans and as we set off to mount our horses, he bluntly stated, "don't forget your horses name because we don't know yours and when we shout out some commands like 'Big Red' don't go up the dune or don't go that far out in the water,' we're really talking to you! And remember, horses are like people, they don't like to go in cold water or get their hair wet when it's cold outside." After getting our riding instructions, DJ rounded up a couple more wranglers and together we headed outside the stables, across the dunes, and started our ride along and onto the beach.

During the ride, DJ would pull up along side us to make sure all was going well, share some information on the island and it's history, tell us about the horses, and provide us with some tips on the best restaurants and nightlife. The ride was like a relaxing stroll along the beach, except on horseback. We would walk and trot along the beach, dip into and out of the surf, and all too soon it was time to head back over the dunes for the stable. A fun and memorable ride.

The horses were perfect and each of our group felt very comfortable atop these stately 1200 pound gentle giants and had no trouble getting them to obey our every command. Anybody from 6 to 90 can enjoy a horseback ride on a South Padre Beach - no horseback experience is required. Its a fun way to spend a couple hours and not something us city slickers get to do very often. Call Horses on the Beach to reserve a horse - they have scheduled rides several times a day. Horses on the Beach also offers sunset horseback rides and rides for special events like weddings, corporate events, or reunions.

In addition to horseback rides, new in 2010 is a Beach Combing and Nature Adventure on Mega Truck. You'll board a converted army truck for a two hour adventure on private property and some remote beaches on the far north end of South Padre Island. The Mega Truck takes you through the dunes, along the beach, and into the waves. Along the way you'll stop and look for sea shells, turtles, dolphins surfing in the waves, several species of birds, or other wildlife.

A sister company, about seven miles north of the Horses on the Beach stables is South Padre Island Adventures where you can rent sport or utility ATVs and ride on their 10 acre sand dune park. To learn more, read our ATV Ride With South Padre Island Adventures - note, South Padre Island Adventures no longer offers ATV rides but they now have a zipline. Read about our fun zip at South Padre Island Adventures.

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