Horse riding in Palma Sola Bay has been temporarily suspended.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Horse riding in Palma Sola Bay has been put on hold for a month. This decision was announced by Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, who noted that the horseback riding companies proposed this suspension as part of efforts to address bacterial issues in the water.

Abbey Tyrna, executive director of Suncoast Waterkeeper, states that her organization has been conducting weekly water tests at Palma Sola Bay since 2022, specifically in an area known locally as “Little Palma Sola Bay,” which has been marked unsafe for swimming due to elevated bacterial levels.

“Since 2022 we’ve observed that the water quality does not meet state standards,” she mentioned.

Tyrna conducts her tests near businesses that provide horseback riding on the beach and indicated that horse waste could be contributing to high bacteria levels. “While we have found that horses are linked to elevated levels in our sector, they aren’t the sole cause. Our goal is to identify all contributing factors,” she explained.

Officials from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program are also analyzing water samples to assess if the month-long absence of horses will enhance water quality. “Both SCWK and SBEP have confirmed that horses are a factor in the bacteria levels detected in Palma Sola Bay. However, the concentrations appear low enough to be ‘detected, but not quantifiable,’” the program stated.

Tyrna expresses concern about the experiment’s implications. “I worry about the financial strain this may place on the horseback riding businesses, especially if conclusions drawn from this month-long study lack scientific validity given the known conditions of the bay,” she added.

Tyrna believes maintaining clean water is a collective responsibility for the whole community. In line with this, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program officials will test the water during the month that the horses are away, and again after they return.