Stories from the sand... "Runaway horse"

[Lady Jane]

Question? Why are the horses heads looking sideways when they are racing them down the beach? Also the runaway horse was not looking forward but to the side as he ran by.

[Angel]

The horses SHOULD NOT BE ON THE BEACH AT ALL!!!

[goldilocks]

not sure why the horses are looking sideways, unless the rider is trying to slow them. horse's eyes are set on the sides of their head so they have great peripheral vision which is why they sometimes get spooked by something unexpected coming from behind or to the side. my favorite pony was freaked out by plastic bags blowing in the wind and I had to use the emergency pull up more than a few times. yes, the technique does come with experience, and screaming most certainly does not help the situation. poor girl!

horses should never be galloping on a beach full of people. I have not ridden the beach horses in Jamaica for two reasons: they are too small for me - I need 16 hands or better, and the tack (saddle/bridle) is in most cases not up to par. I've seen some that is downright dangerous, like a saddle tied on with some random rope. not to mention lack of hardhats.

[nori]

so many times i have seen horses racing along the beach. its dangerous for everyone including the horses.
Also, not make too much of a fine point here, an inexperienced rider pulls hard on one rein to turn the horse can actually cause the horse to flip on their side, crushing the rider. Remember those Hollywood Westerns? thats the trick and it can result in injury to both rider and horse. Better to slowly turn the horse's head and stay calm.

[Papa Georgie]

Write the Jamaica Tourist Board about this issue. I did.

http://www.mot.gov.jm/content/jamaica-tourist-board-jtb

They have a "contact us" link.

[Lady Jane]

Oh and if you are interested in riding the horses inn the beach, you may want to bring some sanitizer for the saddle. We watched a young girl make a soft porn movie on one of the horses. She was completely naked, having the jockey film her while she did her stuff on the horse. Ewwwwww

[Richie B]

Write the Jamaica Tourist Board about this issue. I did.

http://www.mot.gov.jm/content/jamaica-tourist-board-jtb

They have a "contact us" link.

Thanks for the link Papa G. Sent my 2 cents worth to the J.T.B.

[juls]

wow..I only saw a couple of horses while on the beach...they looked too little for me to ride also..Glad the girl was safe and sound!

[Honey518]

Don't like or trust horses... something about that " side eye", they always seem very skiddish/nervous to me. I say get rid of em, or designate a certain spot for them. I too fear them knocking a small child over.

[Troublemaker_420]

As someone who grew up horseback on the family cattle ranch, I too must dissuade people from the "yank their head to the side" style of "stopping" a horse. Remaining calm, and *gently* applying pressure straight back is a much safer method. Violently yanking in ANY direction is rarely prudent advice when dealing with horses, and will generally result in an equally violent counteraction of some sort, and yanking their head to the side at a gallop is a recipe for disaster, or at the very least, broken legs or other injuries obtained when a horse falls on you. Too, different styles of "bits" (the metal part of the halter that goes in the horse's mouth and basically provides "control" of the horse) can provide different results depending on how the reins are handled and how much force is applied. There is simply no reason to "YANK" a well-broken horse's head in any direction for any reason, and if it takes such actions to control the horse, its NOT well broken and NOT suitable for newbie riders or the tourism trade in any capacity. Knowing what I know about horses and tack, i won't take part in most trail rides or commercial riding endeavors. I like to know more about the horse and the equipment used than the operators typically know or are willing to share.