🐎 Beach Horseback Riding Adventure – Limited to 12 People!

Join us for a bucket-list experience: riding and swimming with horses through the water along the beautiful Florida coast! This is a truly unique adventure where we’ll ride gentle rescue horses through the bay and even experience the incredible feeling of swimming with the horses. 🐎🌊

We’ll be riding with C Ponies, a well-known horseback riding company in the Bradenton / Anna Maria Island area that offers aquatic horseback excursions on their rescued Gypsy and Drum horses. All experience levels welcome.

After a brief safety meeting and a lesson on how to swim with the horses, the horses will swim while you ride them. The horses are never forced to swim; this is actually their favorite part! So grab hold of their manes and hang on tight! This almost feels like you’re flying through the air.

This ride includes about 1 hour in the saddle (roughly 1.5 hours total including check-in and safety briefing) and, yes, you will get wet!

📅 Event Details
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: Meet at 10:00 AM sharp at Location for introductions, safety briefing, and getting ready. DO NOT BE LATE! Ride takes off at 10:30 AM.
Spots Available: 12 people (very limited)
Location: 8400 Manatee Ave W. Bradenton, FL
Experience: Ride horses into the water and swim with them — truly a once-in-a-lifetime Florida adventure.

💲 Cost, Payment & RSVP
The cost is $179 per person (includes all fees, taxes, mandatory $10 gratuity, and a small contribution to pay for meetup monthly fees).

*** RSVP window opens on Friday March 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM and closes on Friday March 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM. ***

Once you RSVP, you must send full payment to me within 24 hours via Venmo (@lpastuszka) and also send a message to me with the following info:
1. Your full name;
2. Age;
3. Riding experience, if any;
4. Cell phone number; and
5. email address.

I will forward your payment to CPonies by April 6, 2026 and CPonies requires the above information from each rider so that they can send you an email confirmation with a waiver for you to sign.

Do NOT send me payment if you have not RSVPed and/or all RSVP spots are filled. You must RSVP before sending payment to me.

Payment deadline: You must pay the full amount within 24 hours after RSVPing. If you do not pay within 24 hours of RSVPing, your RSVP will be removed so that someone else can RSVP and pay.

Venmo Link to pay the $179 fee: https://account.venmo.com/u/lpastuszka

Spots will be held only after payment is received, since I need to reserve the group ride in advance.

⚠️ Important Notes
• Maximum of 12 riders
• Weight limit: 280 lbs
• Expect to get wet — this is an aquatic horseback ride!
• If weather conditions require changes, we will adjust accordingly.

💳 Refund Policy & Important Notes
If the operator (CPonies) cancels due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, participants will receive either:
• A full refund, or
• A rain check valid for one year.
Additional notes from the operator:
• No-shows or late arrivals will be charged the full price with no refund.
• Please double-check the ride time and location. Arriving at the wrong location may result in losing your ride without refund or rescheduling.
• The ride will proceed rain or shine unless the operator determines conditions are unsafe.

🎒 What to Bring
Since this is an aquatic horseback ride, expect to get wet! Here are some recommended items:

Essential Items
• Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting wet (athletic wear or quick-dry clothing works best)
• Closed-toe shoes that can get wet (water shoes, old sneakers, or sturdy sandals with straps)
• Swimsuit (optional but recommended under your clothes)
• Towel for after the ride
• Sunscreen
• Drinking water

Recommended
• Change of clothes for after the ride
• Dry bag or plastic bag for wet items
• Sunglasses with strap
• Hat or cap
• Phone waterproof pouch if you want to bring your phone for photos
• Small waterproof camera / GoPro if you have one

Optional but Nice
• Light snacks for after the ride
• Hair tie if you have long hair
• Flip flops for changing after the ride

🚫 What NOT to Bring
• Valuables you don’t want getting wet
• Loose items that could fall into the water

🌟 Why This Event Will Be Amazing
• Unique Florida experience
• Small group so everyone can interact
• Great opportunity to meet new people in the group
• Beautiful scenery and unforgettable photos

You can learn more about the experience here:
https://cponies.com/

If this sounds like fun, RSVP soon — this will likely fill quickly!
Looking forward to riding with you all! 🐎