Equestrians ask Myrtle Beach council to reconsider riding on the beach ban

Several equestrians asked Myrtle Beach City Council to reconsider an old law that bans them from riding on the beach – a law they said wasn’t really enforced until Jan. 22 after more people complained of finding horse manure on the sandy shore.

Complaints soared after perfect weather in November attracted more riders on horses for the annual benefit ride for the American Heart Association. The large numbers left more manure than the event’s clean-up crew could handle.

Councilman Philip Render referred to the beach manure as “landmine” surprises “you don’t want in between your toes.”

Horses on the beach also bring up safety issues, said Councilwoman Mary Jeffcoat, along a stretch of the city’s shoreline that is quickly becoming a year-round destination.

But equestrians argued horseback riding is a growing tourist attraction that benefits the city and draws thousands of visitors each year to Myrtle Beach.

A 1998 resolution allowed horseback riding on the beach under certain restrictions from the third Saturday in November until the end of February. But a city code updated in 2011 when the animal control ordinance was rewritten outlawed the animals on the beach without a special event permit.

The city began enforcing the code two-and-a-half weeks ago, with officers turning riders away at the Myrtle Beach border with the Myrtle Beach State Park, where riding is allowed.

More than 45 equestrians banded together to ask the city for some leeway at the council’s Tuesday meeting.

Richard “Buster” Ray, owner of Horseback Riding in Myrtle Beach, LLC, who leads equestrian expeditions in the park, said they were surprised by the change in the law’s enforcement.

“Nobody knew the law was on the books,” he told the council, asking them to reinstate the old law that allowed the activity in the winter months.

Riders are currently banned from riding along the surf in Surfside Beach, leaving only a 3-mile stretch at the park between the city limits of Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach open to horses.

Ray said the park agreed to allow them to put a sign up telling riders to walk at the tide line so that any droppings would be washed out to sea.

“I think the problem ... (started) when some people came here from out of town and didn’t know … how the tide works so they were riding up in the soft sand and of course if a horse leaves something up there it stays for a good while,” Ray said. “We’re scared that if Myrtle Beach stops it, Horry County is going to mirror it and next all of this group of people out here are going to lose their (ability) to ride.”

Ray said horseback riding on the beach has become a big tourist attraction and brings in visitors that spend money in the city.

Horseback riding is listed as No. 12 on the list of top outdoor activities among things to do at Myrtle Beach on TripAdvisor.com, said fellow equestrian Brooke Doswell.

“I think it’s really important, on behalf of the horse riders and owners to think about how important the horses are,” she said. “The horses are big to the tourists. When we ride on the beach it’s like the paparazzi is out there. All of the families with children are taking pictures of us. They love watching the horses.”

Doswell told the council they had ideas to accommodate horseback riders that would ease the concerns of beachgoers.

“The waste issue is a big one,” she said.

But unlike dog waste, which she said is “toxic,” horse waste is not.

“It’s very natural. It’s used in garden compost. It’s 75 percent water and grain and grass. We understand the size of the waste intimidates people,” she said, but if the city were to require horseback riders to ride “within 5 feet of the tide line” the manure issue would “wash out with the tide.”

Safety issues could be addressed a few ways, she said, suggesting riders be required to travel at a walk or “slow jog” pace along the surf.

“During the offseason when this was allowed previously it was just in the offseason so the water is very cold. The water is like 45, 50 degrees. Children aren’t building sandcastles in the cold water. They’re up higher on the beach so the horses could stay down by the water line, which would prevent safety issues,” Doswell said.

“We also propose that we get together on our side and develop some kind of auxiliary patrol. Buster Ray has agreed to that, agreed to the discussion of that,” she said.

The patrol would help enforce the rules among the riders.

“I think the horse people just got lax like we all do and there we people riding in the high sand and there were people running,” she said, but riders will honor the restrictions if given the chance to continue riding on the surf.

Mayor John Rhodes said he’d like to find a way for horseback riding to resume on the beach in some manner. He encouraged the group to work with city staff to develop a code with restrictions that would allow the tradition to continue. He said the council could look at those suggestions in its next meeting in two weeks, but no decision would be made Tuesday.

“We understand the situation and we’d like to make sure that we’re able to do something that’s going to please the riders on horses and also the public,” Rhodes said. “This will be a big decision for us and we’re not going to make that decision hastily. We’re going to make sure we have our I’s … (dotted and T’s crossed) as much as possible so we can ensure the safety and everything else for everybody concerned.”

Doswell said they would work with the staff over the next two weeks.

Marsha Hewitt from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture told the council she would be happy to work with the equestrians and the city to come up with a solution to benefit both tourism and the state’s growing horse industry.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Equestrians ask Myrtle Beach council to reconsider riding on the beach ban."