Exploring the debate over horse rides in Palma Sola Bay

This collection of stories highlights the longstanding debate surrounding horseback rides in Palma Sola Bay and their impact on water quality.

Horse ride proponents argue that operators take care to maintain the beach and clean up horse poop that goes into the water, while critics point out potential health and environmental impacts.

City officials have considered regulating the horse rides for years, but say they want more definitive information.

Scientists are now using DNA testing to pinpoint the extent to which horses contribute to pollution, while impacts on seagrass are another ongoing concern.

Despite the heated debate, some scientists and horse ride operators agree that there is room for compromise with regulations that would better protect water quality while still allowing the rides to take place.

Read more below about how the debate has unfolded over the years.

Horseback riding along Bradenton’s Palma Sola Bay has been debated over the years. Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program said more research is necessary to determine whether horses impact water quality. On Thursday, July 27, three beach horse companies were working in the bay. By Tiffany Tompkins

NO. 1: NEW WATER QUALITY TESTS REIGNITE HORSE POOP DEBATE IN BRADENTON’S PALMA SOLA BAY

This year, results from advanced water testing in Palma Sola Bay traced horse DNA to bacteria found around the causeway, adding fuel to a longstanding debate that horses contaminate the bay. | Published September 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Carter Weinhofer

A rider participates in a group ride in Palma Sola Bay on a C Ponies hour-long horseback ride. By Tiffany Tompkins

NO. 2: DOES HORSEBACK RIDING CAUSE WATER QUALITY ISSUES IN PALMA SOLA BAY? DNA TEST HAS ANSWERS

In 2024, researchers found new evidence in the ongoing debate about horseback riding in Palma Sola Bay. | Published June 13, 2024 | Read Full Story by Ryan Ballogg

NO. 3: ARE HORSES CAUSING WATER QUALITY ISSUES IN BRADENTON’S PALMA SOLA BAY? IT’S COMPLICATED

In 2023, local water quality experts said Palma Sola Bay was generally healthy — but they didn't rule out that horses could be making some areas more polluted. | Published July 31, 2023 | Read Full Story by Ryan Callihan

NO. 4: TIRED OF ‘DEAD ENDS,’ BRADENTON RENEWS EFFORTS TO REGULATE PALMA SOLA HORSEBACK RIDING

In 2020, Bradenton City Council again considered regulating horseback riding along the Palma Sola Causeway. The practice has caused constant headaches for Bradenton officials, who have been told they have no jurisdiction over the land because the Palma Sola Causeway is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. | Published August 19, 2020 | Read Full Story by Ryan Callihan

NO. 5: HORSEBACK TOURS ARE TRAMPLING SEAGRASS IN PALMA SOLA BAY. THAT MIGHT GET THEM BANNED

In 2019, the Manatee County Commission considered passing countywide regulations for horseback riding in “sensitive” bodies of water, inspired by a similar action in Pinellas County. | Published November 8, 2019 | Read Full Story by Ryan Callihan

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.