Over the last week, we've shared our beautiful oceanside resort with more than 900 horses! And we loved it! The event was the 23rd Annual American Heart Association Rideathon. Riders collected pledges, just like in a walkathon, then spent four days here in Myrtle Beach riding their horses on the beach to raise money for the AHA. We knew this would be something special when the long, long lines of horse trailers started arriving. The check-in system was very efficient; every horse went through a "Coggins inspection" to verify its health and vaccination history while the owners got their site assignments.
They came from everywhere--we saw plates from Texas, New York, Colorado, Wyoming, as well as lots from the Carolinas and neighboring states--and as they set up their portable corrals and started exercising the horses, you could feel the excitement spread across the campground.
We were surrounded by horses! (See us? That's the B.A.T. in center frame above.) The dogs were surprisingly calm about it all, only getting a little excited when they were outside next to a nickering neighbor. The group hosted a lot of entertainment and other events, and we were made to feel fully welcome to join right in at country music concerts, karaoke events and more.
But the best part was watching them ride on the 20+ mile stretch of beach. It's a relatively rare treat for both man and beast---to walk, trot and even gallop along the ocean surf in the company of hundreds of other horsemen. The sight is something we won't soon forget.
