Half Moon Equestrian Center
Half Moon Equestrian Center
5
About
Welcome to the best quality horseback riding experience in Montego Bay. We are located at the luxurious Half Moon Resort. You can enjoy a variety of equestrian activities: riding, jumping, polo lessons and the thrilling beach ride.At the Stables you will find loved and well trained horses. Our Guides and Instructors are friendly and experienced. There are activities for young chilren and adults alike, including our Pony Park where children can interact with different animals and have pony rides.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
155 reviews
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edmooreadv
Long Island, New York39 contributions
Dec 2020
My daughter and I did the surf and turf swim with the horses. We did it 5 years ago and it was even better this time. Trina is a pleasure to deal with and our guide took great care of us. You could tell that they love their horses, dogs and goats. Don't miss this incredible experience.
Written December 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian V
1 contribution
Feb 2023
Our trip to Half Moon was awesome. The team was friendly and eager to make our experience as fun as possible. Trina was great at helping to organize our event. She also runs the whole operation. The horses were trained and well taken care of. Worth the cost and time during your vacation. Would definitely return.
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Britta F
San Jose, CA39 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
I am amazed at the other review I saw posted here. My husband and I stayed a the Half Moon this past July and since I am an avid rider, we went to check out the stables the day after we arrived. Far from being well taken care of, at least two of the horses we saw had awful rashes to the point where large patches of coat were missing. Another horse had a seriously swollen fetlock but was still used for the rides (It had just been hosed off after a ride and we saw it again the next day at the beach). Several horses were also cribbing, which is a stress-induced habit,,,,I felt so sad that we left without ever even considering booking a ride. Unless they seriously address their animal welfare issues, I would not recommend giving this place any business.
Written November 25, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
railbird21
New York City, NY24 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
If you do the beach ride, you get to SWIM with the horses. Yes, actually swim (unlike other places where you go leg deep)! You hold onto your horses mane, fighting with the waves, until the guide says, "Tail-ride!" Then you let go of the mane, back-up until you're off the horse, and grab onto its tail. The horse is swimming and you're floating in your life vest right behind and you hope to God that it doesn't decide to poop right then. An awesome experience, really. The guides/wranglers were funny and super nice. After the swim, they crack open coconuts and you get to drink the juice right out of them.
Bring a waterproof camera - the guides loved that we had one and took a million photos for us.
Bring a waterproof camera - the guides loved that we had one and took a million photos for us.
Written October 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig Blankenship
Orlando, FL7 contributions
Aug 2011 • Couples
We came to Jamaica on the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship as a party of four, two couples.
While the ship is extraordinary, we were ready for some privacy.
We booked a private Trevor Hudlin tour and asked him to take us Horseback riding.
He picked us up on time and drove us to the Half Moon Bay Equestrian Center.
We arrived at a small but lovely stable full of beautiful horses. The center was exceptionally clean and the horses well tended. We paid $60 per person and saddled up. By the way, English saddles not western, took some getting used to. They had advised long pants (jeans) but we alll wore bermuda shorts with no problem.
My sister had never formally ridden a horse before. One of the two guides assigned to us lead her horse and never left her side. We took a brief walk down a shady path and arrived at a lovely quiet beach. The horses were unsaddled and we donned floats around our waists. We were taken two at a time bareback into the surf. As we went out further suddenly the bottom dropped away and the horses were swimming up to their necks! We were instructed to lean forward until we were laying on the horse's back. Then the guides showed us how to walk our hands down the back of the horse to the tail. Holding on to the tip of the tail we floated along behind the swimming horse. It was the most exciting thing I have ever done.
I have seen the various youtube videos of the horseback rides in the surf but never expected something so fantastic. This was a wonderful, exciting experience. Once in a lifetime sums it up perfectly.
While the ship is extraordinary, we were ready for some privacy.
We booked a private Trevor Hudlin tour and asked him to take us Horseback riding.
He picked us up on time and drove us to the Half Moon Bay Equestrian Center.
We arrived at a small but lovely stable full of beautiful horses. The center was exceptionally clean and the horses well tended. We paid $60 per person and saddled up. By the way, English saddles not western, took some getting used to. They had advised long pants (jeans) but we alll wore bermuda shorts with no problem.
My sister had never formally ridden a horse before. One of the two guides assigned to us lead her horse and never left her side. We took a brief walk down a shady path and arrived at a lovely quiet beach. The horses were unsaddled and we donned floats around our waists. We were taken two at a time bareback into the surf. As we went out further suddenly the bottom dropped away and the horses were swimming up to their necks! We were instructed to lean forward until we were laying on the horse's back. Then the guides showed us how to walk our hands down the back of the horse to the tail. Holding on to the tip of the tail we floated along behind the swimming horse. It was the most exciting thing I have ever done.
I have seen the various youtube videos of the horseback rides in the surf but never expected something so fantastic. This was a wonderful, exciting experience. Once in a lifetime sums it up perfectly.
Written August 20, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Purrdee
Northwich, UK286 contributions
Dec 2013 • Solo
This beach horse ride is definitely not suitable for novice or nervous riders. You are given a very short introduction and walk around the field before setting off for the beach. Here you are expected to ride the horse bareback in the ocean where it is extremely difficult to stay on as the horse's coat becomes very slippery. The horse I was given was skittish and difficult to handle, I was told he did not like crowds or lots of movement. Something I thought was strange seeing as he was being used for excursions. In the end this horse threw me off when we were approaching the stables as neither myself nor the trainer guiding me could keep him under control. Luckily I was not badly injured but it could of been much worse. Please check the disclaimer they ask you to sign quickly at the start, before signing......it absolves them of ANY responsibility even if their horse is at fault!! Definitely I would proceed with caution.......
Written February 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ddhbl
Green Bay6 contributions
Jan 2016 • Family
We visited Half Moon Equestrian Center in January 2016. We organized our ride by contacting Trina through e-mail. She responded promptly (within a day) and was very easy to work with. We did schedule our ride via e-mail before we arrived in Jamaica just to ensure we had our reservation on the day that worked for us. Trina arranged for a driver to pick us up at our hotel and drop us back off after the ride. He was there waiting for us at the time we arranged. We were advised to wear long pants with our swimsuit underneath. When we arrived, we were fit with a riding helmet. All the horses were extremely well taken care of. It is obvious Trina and her staff take very good care of their horses, The horses' feet were all trimmed nicely. There is a nice mounting block at the stables and at the beach to safely mount the horses. Some of her horses are pretty tall. We started out with a short ride in a fenced-in outdoor arena just to make sure everyone in our group was comfortable in the English saddles. For those who weren't overly comfortable riding, your guide can hook up a lead line to the horse for your riding comfort. After riding in the arena, you take a ride to the beach. This consists of riding through the Half Moon resort on some side roads to the beach. We had five total people in our group. Our guides were Mark and Chase. I felt 100 percent confident in our safety with them. They were super friendly and never rushed us at all. When we got to the beach, we split up in two groups. A group of three went in the water with Mark and Chase while we waited on the beach. Once the three came back, my daughter and I went. Mark was leading my daughter, and Chase was leading me. Mark explained exactly what to expect as the horses were entering the water and how we should hang onto the horses and eventually float above the horses while they swim. This is the only swimming with the horses I found where the horses actually go this deep. Most only go up to the belly of the horse. Mark and Chase were right by us the entire time. I had a GoPro with me, and Mark took the GoPro and took some incredible pictures of us swimming with the horses. He even took some videos of the horses' feet swimming underwater that turned out awesome. The horses are slippery when they get wet, and I did slide off my horse as they came out of the water. Chase came back around with my horse, and I was able to get back on in the water. Never once did I feel unsafe with Mark and Chase. They took great care of us. There is also a flotation ring to wear for safety in the water. Once we were back on the beach, we wanted to take some pictures in the water with the horses. Mark brought one of the horses back in the water so we could take pictures with them. We never once felt rushed and were able to take great pictures. When we got back to the stables, all the horses were rinsed off to get all the salt water off. Once again, another sign that Trina takes great care of her horses. I would highly recommend Half Moon Equestrian Center. It will be a memory you will never forget!!!
Written February 7, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pistache1141
Brussels, Belgium126 contributions
Aug 2014 • Solo
I booked the beach ride and the friendly owner of the stables, Trina, came pick me up in person at my hotel in Montego Bay. I chose the stables at Half Moon based on the good reviews here and was also warned not to book any beach rides through the company "Chukka", it is cheaper but the horses wouldn't be treated as nicely. I was impressed by the grounds and the stables at Half Moon. The horses are all beautiful and very very well kept and cared for. You can tell that all the staff that works there really love the animals. With me there was a family and a couple doing the beach ride as well and each party had their own guide assigned to them which was great as they could take care of everyone's individual needs. I am experienced in horseback riding so my guide let me get familiar with my horse and do a few rounds with it also in trot and gallop before we headed out for the beach ride. The ride to the beach takes you through the Half Moon resort. At the beach the saddles come off and you can change into your swim suit. The guide gave me some instructions on what to do when the horse is swimming (I had never done it before), you are supposed to hold onto their mane and straighten your body horizontally above the horse's back so you basically float. You can also hold onto the horses tail while you float through the waves behind it. You ride straight into the water with your guide on his horse too and he tells you when it will start swimming so you know when to grip the mane etc it really is an amazing experience! We went quite far out, the horses really enjoy swimming. It's so much fun seeing them move their massive bodies in the water and holding on to them. This is a must-do for everyone who loves horseback-riding! I really recommend the stables at Half Moon, it has been so enjoyable from A-Z and everyone at the stables has been lovely. Big thanks again to Trina and her team!
Written September 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christie D
Brookeville, Maryland, United States25 contributions
Jan 2013 • Couples
This was the absolute best beach ride I have ever been on!! I'm a professional rider in the states and I was thoroughly impressed by the level of horse care and attention to detail at Half Moon Bay. Normally, when I go riding in the Caribbean, I have to turn a blind eye to the health of the horses, but not here. All of the horses were well fed, groomed, shod, and tacked with properly fitted tack. The guides led the inexperienced riders, so it was very safe for them. My novice boyfriend was very comfortable (and he was very nervous before the ride). The ride was strictly walking, but our guide told us about the local fruit trees, birds, and fish. We rode to the Half Moon Bay dolphin cove... it was pretty neat to see dolphins on horseback! The horses were given a break at the beach and untacked and hosed off when we returned to the stable. I was told that they are only ridden once per day, unlike many trail riding stables where the horses are left tacked all day and ridden for hours on end in poorly fitted tack. There was one guide per two guests. I was very, very impressed with Half Moon Bay!! They do riding lessons, polo lessons, and pony rides too.
Written January 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
deniseobr5
Bryans Road, MD51 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
Sheldon and Mark took us on an amazing ride on the beach and then into the ocean to swim with the horses. They were the best guides you could ever ask for. Very knowledgeable and funny. Always with a smile on their face. You can tell they love what they do and are great at it. Thank you for taking such great care of us. Hope to see you guys again soon.
Written May 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, We're coming down the last week of February and would like to know how to book a Turf & Surf? I appreciate all your help. Thank you
Written January 5, 2019
Thank you for your interest. Please go to our website or face book page.
Written January 11, 2019
Hello!
Do you have to be a guest of the Half Moon Resort in order to book this attraction? If not, does this attraction provide hotel pickup?
Written May 4, 2017
Thank you for your interest. Reservations are needed wherever you are staying. We can do transportation within the Montego Bay area.
Written May 4, 2017
Hi, how long did the whole experience last? 1 hour?
Written April 28, 2017
Thank you. The turf and surf experience lasts approx 90mins.
Written April 28, 2017
Reservations are needed, but you can be staying anywhere in the Montego Bay area. Thank you.
Written April 3, 2017
jctherapy
Thomson, Georgia
Hi, jctherapy. What would you like to know about this attraction?
How do I make reservations for a riding tour? I called the facility and was told that reservations must be made online. I twice sent requests to the email provided but did not receive a response either time.
Written February 22, 2017
Thank you for your interest. I have just sent you an email. Apologies about the delay in answering.
Written February 22, 2017
Hello, can anyone tell me how much time is spent in the water with the horses???
Also, what type of life vest is used (the one that goes around the neck OR the one that goes around the waste)???
Thanks, can't wait until June!!!
Written January 13, 2017
Hi, It's funny how I forget things after not even a year! And we had such a wonderful time!! I want to say that we wore vests in the water. However, we also went on a sailboat, and my daughter went in with the dolphins, I know those were vests. I do remember that we could dive under to see the horses while they swam, so maybe there were no vests? It was not terribly deep, did not feel at all dangerous at all. Water's warm.
Time spent was probably 20 minutes?? It was just right, we were not rushed or tired. I'm not positive, I just remember it was fantastic.
Great answers, hun? Sorry. But you will have a fabulous time. We went in June too. I would love to go again!
Written January 15, 2017
Hi, is there any possibility to do an advanced trek, perhaps going away for a night or two around Easter time? Thanks, anna
Written December 28, 2016
Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately we do not have anything like that available. Please check our website to see what we offer.
Written December 28, 2016
What is your email address for inquiries please as I have had no reply to the one I have used. Looking to book a surprise ride for my daughters birthday.Thanks
Written October 17, 2016
Hi there. My 11 (almost 12) year old daughter and I dream of riding horses into the Caribbean in Jamaica. Your stable looks fantastic. We will be sailing on Carnival Dream and arriving in Port of Montego Bay on or around Dec 20th. Will you be open during this time? And, when we book, do you provide transportation and is it included in the cost? What else is included in cost and what is the schedule? Thanks! Shannon (from Victoria, Canada). 😊
Written October 10, 2016
Thanks for the interest. We would be happy to take you and your Daughter on our Turf and Surf riding experience. Unfortunately we are unable to transport you from the Pier. Please email me if you wish to make bookings, check us horsebackridingjamaica
Written October 11, 2016
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