Happy Trails Walking Horses

STOP. RIGHT. NOW. If you are considering using this place as a fun trip, just stop. This was the worst experience I have ever had with a business. I literally made a Unilocal account to encourage people to not use this business because I am worried about your safety! I took one of my best friends here as a surprise. She is getting married next month so I thought it would be so nice! Horseback riding on the beach. So here are the things that went wrong, bullet pointed for your convenience.
* one of the horse handlers made a strange comment about punching the horse I was on in the head if he kept being nippy.
* the horses were extremely frisky and temperamental. I grew up riding and can handle it, but I didn’t pay to school a horse on the beach. I paid for a nice, calm ride.
* when my friend was obviously uncomfortable half way through, I told the girl (who had already had a bad attitude when I asked to switch horses with her, but just because I say I can ride doesn’t mean I want to ride an uppity, nervous horse!) leading us that we needed to get down and walk. The girl was shocked and disgusted. At that point neither I or my friend felt safe on these horses (they had both spooked, and at one one tried to kick the other) and we were on a public beach. Things could have gone very badly.
* both horses we were leading were very anxious as we lead them back. When we got back to the trailer, the girl made a very rude comment about how my friend couldn’t handle the horse in earshot of us! We left then and there.
I would have asked for a refund, but judging by the way the owner spoke with other customers who had even worse experiences than us, we wouldn’t have received it.
I understand horses. They have their on days and off days. But how this whole situation was handled was rude and disrespectful and made a bad situation worse. I heard Seahorse trails on Fernadina is a great place to ride on the beach. Check them out because if we wouldn’t have gotten off those horses, one of us would have definitely fallen off. The day could have gone a lot worse.

My husband and I decided to add this to our weekend itinerary and we are so glad that we did! It was the first horse ride ever for both of us, so we were definitely nervous at first. But the nervousness gave way to excitement after being warmly greeted by the staff and doing meet and greets with the horses. Before the ride began, the guide gave our group straight-​forward instructions regarding safety and how-to’s relating to both the rider and the horse. The horses were so calm, well trained, and responsive, and the guide was alert, helpful, and professional at all times. We did an hour guided tour on the beach and it was an unforgettable experience! We had first-​timers and experienced riders in our group and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Hands down, this is a MUST DO on your next visit to Amelia Island! Absolutely the most fun we had on our trip and one of (if not) THE BEST experiences you will have in the area!

There were 4 people on that ride. So, me and another lady fell of the horse on the way back. Horses din’t listen and already knew that they could gallop on the way back. So, my horse started to speeding up and I lost control and fell off and also was kicked by it. I have a bruise all over my calf for 2 weeks already and it is still not heeled. The lady, Nikki, who is the horse leader, took care of the horses first and then asked if I was ok. She didn’t provide any first aid and another woman who fell off with me lost consciousness and only her daughter called 911. My husband tried to call and ask for refund. They didn’t apologize or refund. Another thing, they provide helmets, which I didn’t want to wear at the beginning, but I did (which is good), so they do not inform about it on their web site. So, if you have your own one, better bring it, or you will end up wearing sweaty helmet from previous rider. After that fall I felt bad thinking that I did something wrong and it was my first horse riding in my life but in 2 weeks I saw the same picture at Peters Point: 2 kids fell of the horse. The horses started to gallop on the way back without control on a public beach with other people and kids around. So, I thought it is not just me! I want to warn other people with my story, and please don’t put your kids on these horses. These horses are not for inexperienced riders! I am lucky that I am alive! They require you to sign a waiver, so they do not responsible for any injury or death. If you want to enjoy a ride I would recommend Kelly Seahorse Ranch in Amelia Island.