During the summer, Brigantine’s beaches are filled with people soaking up the sun in their bathing suits and running into the ocean. But once the crowds clear in the offseason, the shoreline becomes a peaceful path for horseback riders.
On Friday, Nov. 7, Diane Kassab, her daughter and her 69-year-old mother were able to enjoy a day together riding along the sand.
Kassab and her daughter have ridden in Brigantine twice before and were invited by Seahorse Equestrian.
Kassab’s daughter, 16, is an experienced competitor who rides with another facility but stays connected to Seahorse Equestrian in Gloucester County through past involvement in 4-H and the IEA team.
Kassab said the group drew attention from beachgoers who were watching and taking pictures with the horses.
“My mom rode down with us, and we were standing on the beach, and she said, ‘I always wanted to ride a horse on the beach.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, here’s your chance. Get on,’” she said.
With encouragement from Kassab and her daughter, her mother climbed onto the saddle.
“She was so happy. She had fun. It was a great day,” Kassab said.
The three brought their own horse, as did everyone else that day. Besides theirs, Kassab said there were about six other horses in the group with them.
Kassab owns three horses, all trained for English Jumping and Hunter classes — making it easy for them to ride on the sand.
“We tend to take the ones that we know can tolerate the commotion [and] the waves, because there are situations where some horses don’t like it,” she said. “All the horses we took with us that day were all well behaved and used to lots of activity.
To legally ride on the beach, equestrians must obtain a permit from the Brigantine City Clerk’s Office — a process Kassab said is remarkably fast.
“We went in and it took two seconds. [We] filled out a form, gave our trailer registration, paid the fee and we were on our way. I wasn’t even in there for five whole minutes. It was real quick,” she said.
Permits — valid from Nov. 1 through March 30 from 7 a..m. to 8:30 p.m. — cost $100 for a two-horse trailer, $50 for veterans and $75 for seniors. A separate permit is required for anything larger. Riders bring their own horses and enter at 14th Street North, where parking is available, according to the Clerk’s Office.
Kassab said she hopes Brigantine keeps the tradition alive. “It was a great experience. And it’s awesome that Brigantine allows that on their beach, and hopefully they will continue to do it,” she said.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
