The horses are back at the beach, watch out for the poop

The American Heart Association’s annual Beach Ride event kicks off this weekend, bringing more than 1,000 horses and riders to the Grand Strand — along with tons of horse poop left to clean up on the Myrtle Beach shore.

The charity event generally brings in over $300,000 to help fight cardiovascular disease and stroke, and the city says it helps the local economy during a slower season, but also brings controversy with it.

The City of Myrtle Beach and Horry County — the two jurisdictions where the beach ride is held — have received complaints in the past about horse droppings left in the sand after the 20-mile ride.

City of Myrtle Beach Spokesman Mark Kruea says the weather will likely be nice this weekend, so a large beach crowd is expected.

“We tend to get more complaints about the ride when the weather is nice, because more people other than the riders are enjoying the beach,” Kruea said. “It’s rare for the water to still be a comfortable swimming temperature in November, but a sunny day will bring more people to the beach.”

Kruea said the organization is required to clean up after the riders and will have two golf carts on the beach to pick up droppings.

“In addition, the city will have two vehicles from the Parks Division on the beach to monitor and assist, as needed,” he added.

A beach rake will also be available for the Nov. 4 ride, which begins at 9 a.m. between Lakewood Camping Resort and 54th Ave. North.

Although the beach ride generates complaints, Kruea said horse manure does not pose the same risks that human or dog excrement does.

“Horse manure is smelly and unsightly, to be sure, but it’s not the same as dog waste,” he explained. “Horses are vegetarians, so their manure is a much more natural product. It does not create the contamination issues that pet waste from an omnivore can cause. That doesn’t mean it’s attractive, though.”

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 1:06 PM with the headline "The horses are back at the beach, watch out for the poop."