Horseback Riding in Jamaica

Riding a horse into the Caribbean Sea is one of the most-asked-for excursions in Jamaica, and it’s on offer on the north coast and near Negril. This list is for visitors who want to know which rides are actually running now, and which one suits them. Every operator here is selling its rides on its own website, and the Tourist Board or the operator confirms it is open. Prices are from the operators’ own sites when checked and change often, so check before you book. Places I couldn’t confirm are at the end.

Chukka Horseback Ride ‘n’ Swim at Seville, near Ocho Rios

This is the original. Chukka says it started Jamaica’s first horseback ride and swim in 1983, and today it runs it from its Seville Outpost near Priory and St Ann’s Bay, about 20 minutes west of Ocho Rios. The ride follows coastal trails across the old Seville estate, past ruins from the Spanish and plantation years, and then you take your horse into the sea. Chukka sells the Seville Horseback Ride and Swim from US$109 per person without transport, a sunset version with champagne, and combo passes with ATVs, Dunn’s River Falls or Green Grotto Caves from US$139 with pickup from Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay and Falmouth.

It suits first-timers and families with children 6 and up who are staying around Ocho Rios or Runaway Bay. The drawback is the limits: Chukka sets a maximum weight of 230 lb, requires closed-toe shoes or water shoes, and says the ride isn’t suitable for pregnant women or wheelchair users. The Tourist Board’s reopenings list shows Chukka Seville as open. Give the heritage park itself an hour if you can; my Seville Heritage Park guide covers the great house and the ride together.

Chukka Ocean Outpost at Sandy Bay, west of Montego Bay

Chukka runs the same Horseback Ride ‘n’ Swim at its Ocean Outpost at Sandy Bay in Hanover, on the coast road between Montego Bay and Lucea. Here it’s part of the Ocean Outpost Pass rather than a stand-alone ride on Chukka’s site: the pass is listed from US$163.90 per person with transfers from Montego Bay and Negril, and also covers the ocean zip line, ATVs, a party catamaran, snorkeling and a truck safari. The horseback limits are the same as at Seville, 230 lb and a minimum age of 6.

It suits people staying in Montego Bay or Negril who want the horseback swim plus a few other activities in one day. The drawback: if horses are all you want, you’re paying for a lot you won’t use, and Chukka warns the park can be crowded at peak times with waits for popular activities. The Tourist Board lists Sandy Bay as open. My Chukka Sandy Bay guide has the rest of the pass.

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Half Moon Equestrian Centre, Rose Hall, Montego Bay

Half Moon’s stables at Rose Hall, east of Montego Bay, are the most serious riding operation on this list. Half Moon says the Equestrian Centre has run for over 40 years, offering beginners’ rides, beach rides, and lessons in dressage, jumping and polo, Monday to Saturday. Its director, Trina deLisser, is a former international show jumper and an FEI-certified instructor, and Half Moon describes her horse-rescue program. Half Moon’s reopening page and FAQ list the Equestrian Centre among the facilities available again since the resort’s phased reopening began in April.

The menu on Half Moon’s site: Pony Park rides for children 6 and under (US$30), the 40-minute Rookies’ Roundup for riders 6 and over (US$100), the 50-minute Sand Stroll along Sunrise Beach with a short wade into the sea (US$150), and Swim with Horses, a 9 am ride of about 1 hour 45 minutes that ends with a bareback swim, for confident riders over 10 who swim well, with one guide for every two guests (US$200). Private lessons start at US$150. Riders must be under 220 lb (180 lb for lessons) and wear long pants and closed shoes, and prices are before tax and service charge.

It suits riders who care about well-kept horses and proper instruction, and families with small children. The drawback is price: the ride and swim costs nearly twice what Chukka charges. The page is written for resort guests and friends, so if you’re not staying at Half Moon, call the resort on 876-618-1777 to ask whether you can book. Half Moon is only partly reopened, so read my Half Moon guide before you plan a stay around it.

Jamwest Motorsports and Adventure Park, near Negril

Jamwest is an adventure park and race track at Old Hope, near Little London in Westmoreland, east of Negril. Its horseback ride leaves the stable for Salmon Point fishing village and goes into the sea. Jamwest lists it at about an hour, with a child rate for ages 8 to 11 and rides at 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm every day and pickup from select Negril hotels. No experience is needed: guides lead every ride with a backup rider, and helmets are compulsory. Jamwest lists current prices on its website; check before you book.

It suits Negril visitors who want a quieter, more rural ride than the Chukka parks, maybe combined with Jamwest’s ATVs. The drawback is that it’s a long, dusty half day with the transfer, and the park is loud on race days. The Tourist Board’s reopenings list shows Jamwest as open and its booking pages are live, but I found no newer update from the park itself, so confirm your ride by phone on 876-957-4474 or 876-475-7588. See my Jamwest guide.

Closed or unconfirmed

• Braco Stables, Trelawny: the Tourist Board’s reopenings list shows Jam West Braco as closed, and the stables’ website did not load when checked.
• Rhodes Hall Plantation, Green Island, Hanover: long known for rides near Negril, but I found no official website, no Tourist Board listing and no update since the hurricane. Ask locally before you plan around it.
• Hooves, St Ann’s Bay: a riding stable that resellers still list, but I couldn’t find an official website or any status update from the operator, and it isn’t on the Tourist Board’s reopenings list.
• Prospect Plantation, east of Ocho Rios: older guidebooks list horseback rides here. The estate is now run as Yaaman Adventure Park, and none of the park’s current packages include horseback riding.

Which ride to pick

My take: for the classic horseback swim at a fair price, Chukka at Seville is the one, and it’s an easy add-on to an Ocho Rios stay. If you or your children actually ride, or you want small groups and lessons, Half Moon is in a different class, if you can get a booking. From Negril, Jamwest is the closest option. For children’s ages and other family-friendly ideas, see things to do in Jamaica with kids, and for building a horseback ride into a bigger day out, see the best day trips in Jamaica.