by Luellen Lucid

Horses enjoy vacations on the beach just as much as their human owners.  This summer, various Canterwood horses were transported to Ocean Acres B&B and Horse Hotel for a few days on the Washington Coast beach.  Moxxi and her owner, Pam Knudsen, have spent a few days each month at this facility, enjoying rides on the beach.  In July, another Canterwood boarder, Sandra Schugren, accompanied Pam and Moxxi with her horse, Lexie.  In August, a group that included CRC trainer Delicia Molton Sorensen and her daughter Reina, who keeps her horse Toby at CRC, were transported to the horse and human beach resort.

 

Ocean Acres is located outside of Grayland, WA, and offers a multitude of options for its guests.  People can come and camp, stay in one of the basic rooms or stay in the Captain’s Quarters, a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment that sleeps six and has a full kitchen.  For the horses, there are stalls with runs in the barn or outdoor paddocks.  For a small extra fee, guests can have breakfast with the facility’s owners and hosts, Carol and David.  “Carol is a fantastic cook, and her breakfast is well worth the calories,” Pam reports.

 

Carol and David’s property adjoins the beach, so once you are staying there, you just tack up, ride down the property through a beautiful marshy area, over the dune, and you are at the beach.  It is a beautiful, sandy beach that is never crowded, but riders have to pay attention to the tides, so they have solid footing to ride on.

 

The August trip included CRC horses Moxxi, Valentin, and Toby, as well as Delicia’s horse Ben, who lives at her house.  Delicia noted that the horses were delighted to see one another — Valentin hadn’t seen Toby and Ben for years because he lived elsewhere.  They were highly affectionate to one another.  Valentin recently came to CRC to be leased by one of Delicia’s riding students.  Toby has been at CRC in the past and is now back at CRC so that Reina can ride him in the arenas before or after she works at the stable.

 

During the beach trip, Moxxi served as the “experienced” horse, helping the other horses feel comfortable riding on the beach.  Once the horses get over the fast expanse and moving water, they “absolutely love it,” Pam says.  It is definitely one of Moxxi and Pam’s happy places, and it became a happy place for the other horses as well.  There is almost always a breeze on the beach, no bugs, a beautiful vista, and bald eagles in the air.  Pam says she has seen (and even been swooped by) a bald eagle on every trip.  The town of Westport is just 15 minutes away and has a number of adorable shops and some amazing views from the tower.  It also offers charter fishing excursions for the non-rider.

 

Pam is planning to go again once every month next summer, as it is the perfect getaway for rider and horse.  “So peaceful and beautiful, you can’t help but relax!” Pam stated.  The pictures taken at a couple of the excursions this summer should make even non-riders want to visit this beautiful facility and its beach.