[2] After originating in England the first official horse surfing competition was held in 2006 in La Baule, France, and over the last 14 years the sport has continued to spread internationally.
[3] The first horse surfing competition was held in 2006, one year after the sports invention, in La Baule, France.
A quiet, beach-trained horse that is fast and fit enough to pull the rider at speeds of 35-40 miles per hour is required.
[7] Most twin tip models have a base that curves upwards, channels that direct the water in one direction, increasing maximum possible speeds, either straight or curved sides and square or rounded corners.
[7] A kite surfboard is generally smaller, thinner and narrower than a classic surf board and frequently has an epoxy core.
Riders can minimise this damage by staying away from beach dunes, wildlife sanctuary zones, turtle nesting sites and not riding through flocks of birds or near marine life.
As of the start of 2020, horse-surfing competitions have been recorded as taking place in Taiwan, Australia, Dubai and the USA.
[12][14] To reduce the chance of soft-tissue injury or muscle soreness it is best, while the horse is building up their beach fitness, to ride the horse along the firmer sand at the waters edge, take a slower pace, and take rest breaks.
[14][12] After riding on the beach the horse will need to be properly cleaned to avoid any damage from the exposure to salt water and sand.
[13][12] It is important to rinse the horse all over with clean fresh water to remove any salt that might dry out their skin, and carefully check for any scrapes of cuts.
[13][12] Ocean water can contain infectious microbes so if the horse has been cut or scratched the wounds should be thoroughly cleaned and treated with antibiotics.