A guided horseback riding excursion turns dangerous when a spooked horse throws off a rider, setting off a chain of chaotic events on a causeway in Sarasota and landing two people in the hospital.
One horse, after another, after another led back into a trailer, after darting down a busy Bradenton, in Sarasota County.
“It’s a scary thing. We’re just so happy that no one was really hurt and the horses were all fine,” said Carmen Hanson, C Ponies owner.
Carmen Hanson owns C Ponies, a business that offers horseback riding beach excursions.
“Our rides are 100% done in the bay,” said Hanson.
Their staff was guiding a tour near the Palma Sola Causeway when horses with another company, Carousel Sea Horses, got spooked.
“One of the guides’ horses got spooked and she fell off and the horse bolted. And when the horse bolted, the rest of the horses followed,” said Hanson.
“All seven riders and that includes the guide either were thrown from the horse that they were on or they actually jumped from the horse,” said Meredyth Censullo, Bradenton police spokesperson.
At least two of the riders suffered minor injuries.
The horses took off down a busy avenue before a neighbor corralled the horses into a nearby yard.
Bradenton Police helped get the animals safely into a trailer.
“It’s very fortunate that, number one, that the horseback riders were not more seriously injured. Number two, that there wasn’t an accident because of this,” said Censullo.
Hanson said the horses are lucky they weren’t hurt too. She said there’s no telling what could have spooked them.
“Horses are very unpredictable. We all try to do the safest thing that we can on the causeway,” she said. “I think it was just a fluke, you know, just an unfortunate accident.”
One rider says he suffered fractured ribs and is speaking with an attorney, about how to proceed.
As for Carousel Sea Horses, the company has yet to comment on what happened.
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