Horseback Riding on Half Moon Cay

[kalliekae]

Ther are 4 of us who are considering booking this excursion and it includes "riding in the surf". Has anyone booked this excursion and did you enjoy it? Do the horses stay along shore or go into deep water? We have one person who is a non-swimmer. Is this excursion ok for novice riders? Any tips you can pass along for non-horse people are appreciated. Thanks!

[tropicj]

We did this excursion a couple of years ago. It's fine for novice riders. I don't recall there being much in the way of instructions at the start, but they have a trail that the horses are clearly used to following and the guides do sort of shout instructions as they go along in terms of how to hold yourself and guide the horse going up hills or when the horse is moving faster. The guides spent quite a lot of time pairing people up with the appropriate horse for their size and weight, not just randomly assigning you a horse. They do have the horses moving faster and up and down hills more often than on some other novice tours I've been on, but I didn't feel unsafe and no one on our tour seemed to be an experienced rider.

 

As far as the part in the surf, I'm not sure that would be great for a non-swimmer. You're near the shore, but not right at the water line. If I remember correctly, I think that even sitting on the horse, the water came up to my hips or waist. Also, the "saddle" they use for that portion of the ride is extremely difficult to hold on to, especially once the horse is in the water. Two people in our group fell off into the water. It takes a certain amount of strength and balance to hang on to the horse while it's in the water. You mainly have to keep yourself upright and on the horse using your legs (without stirrups), not the reins.

 

It's possible to do the excursion without doing the water portion, if you so choose. They take you to a little hut after the main ride to take off your shoes and clothes so that you just ride in the water in your bathing suit, and then obviously you go back to that hut right after to collect your things. So you could skip the water portion and watch while the rest of the group goes (they just go up the beach a little ways and back, not very far). The main ride on land is a lot of fun and you get some great views from higher elevations on the island, so it would still be worth considering the excursion even for those that might opt out of the water portion.

[sevenseasnomad]

 

As far as the part in the surf, I'm not sure that would be great for a non-swimmer. You're near the shore, but not right at the water line. If I remember correctly, I think that even sitting on the horse, the water came up to my hips or waist. Also, the "saddle" they use for that portion of the ride is extremely difficult to hold on to, especially once the horse is in the water. Two people in our group fell off into the water. It takes a certain amount of strength and balance to hang on to the horse while it's in the water. You mainly have to keep yourself upright and on the horse using your legs (without stirrups), not the reins.

 

 

Agree completely. We did this tour three years ago & have just booked it for our son & his friend for Dec. Having experienced it once, DH & I were unwilling to shell out money for it again. Been there, done that philosophy.

 

We totally enjoyed it, but the surf part scared me. I almost fell off, but after I got the hang of it (holding on with legs & grabbing poor horse's mane to stay on) it was fun.

 

Views from the hills are lovely. I don't believe you'll regret this excursion. Book early or last excursion times as those during mid-morning could interfere with lunch.

[woodofpine]

I got a couple kids that are enthusiastic riders; me, when I have to - I go along, get along... pay for the feed.

 

The Half Moon trail ride is very standard novice/low risk cargo carry riding, nice and sedate generally. You actually get a few feet above the beach front elevation-wise which is nice, a bit different given the flat elevation of the Bahamas. The surf part, however, depending on the size of horse and the 'route' (a few feet makes a difference) involves the horses actually swimming which surprised me and is a bit tricky if you're not aware of it coming. Everything gets very slippery and one's natural bouyancy can cause you to float away from the bobbing back of the horse if you don't show a little equestrian muscle tone in the legs (chest low and forward). It's really more of an embarassment than anything else if you go Paul Simon ('Slip, Slidin' Away') The operation is very cruiseline 'risk managed'. If the non-swimmer mentions that they'll almost certainly take proper precautions.

 

I'll tell you where they've got some 'wicked' public trail riding: Aruba. Mention that you've got experience (any) and the rancheros going through Arikok National Park on their Passo Fino horses may give you a thrill no USA trail ride operator would tolerate. I attribute that ride to DD#2's permanent aversion to riding (they warned that the horses liked to 'roll' in the sand dunes... spur'em through fast); only place I've seen ride operators allow (even encourage) a full blown gallop! And once my passo fino hit full stride that's ALL he wanted to do! Very memorable - intense.

 

Half Moon is easy going. A novice should be just fine.

[topspot]

Kalliekae, When we did this excursion DH and I were not interested in the water portion of the ride. We asked if DD and her friend could have our turn and the guides let them do the water portion twice. Both are riders and were thrilled to do that twice. Just mentioning that so if you decide to do the ride and wish to skip the water portion you may also be able to give your "turn" to someone else.;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I got a couple kids that are enthusiastic riders; me, when I have to - I go along, get along... pay for the feed.

 

The Half Moon trail ride is very standard novice/low risk cargo carry riding, nice and sedate generally. You actually get a few feet above the beach front elevation-wise which is nice, a bit different given the flat elevation of the Bahamas. The surf part, however, depending on the size of horse and the 'route' (a few feet makes a difference) involves the horses actually swimming which surprised me and is a bit tricky if you're not aware of it coming. Everything gets very slippery and one's natural bouyancy can cause you to float away from the bobbing back of the horse if you don't show a little equestrian muscle tone in the legs (chest low and forward). It's really more of an embarassment than anything else if you go Paul Simon ('Slip, Slidin' Away') The operation is very cruiseline 'risk managed'. If the non-swimmer mentions that they'll almost certainly take proper precautions.

 

I'll tell you where they've got some 'wicked' public trail riding: Aruba. Mention that you've got experience (any) and the rancheros going through Arikok National Park on their Passo Fino horses may give you a thrill no USA trail ride operator would tolerate. I attribute that ride to DD#2's permanent aversion to riding (they warned that the horses liked to 'roll' in the sand dunes... spur'em through fast); only place I've seen ride operators allow (even encourage) a full blown gallop! And once my passo fino hit full stride that's ALL he wanted to do! Very memorable - intense.

 

Half Moon is easy going. A novice should be just fine.

 

 

I rode a passo in Puerto Rico. We were a huge group off a cruise, and they asked who had NEVER ridden (80%) Who had ridden about 5-6 times (most of the rest), and who had ridden a lot (two of us). I wore jeans and ankle-high boots (I will not ride in sneakers), and looked like I knew what I was doing. I ended up on a horse that belonged to one of the guides. What a sweet horse, smooth gait. Because of the group, I never got to do more than a brief trot.

 

I've done rides on a lot of vacations. In Wales, if you say you can ride, you better mean it! Any time I've had a bad experience, it's been due to another rider, not the horses themselves. I don't mean to scare anyone off taking a vacation ride. But know that it can be dangerous if you don't follow the instructions and pay attention to what you're doing. I am nervous on rides with many novices, as I watch people do stupid things, like the woman who let go of the reins and twisted around to take a picture of her kid, who was behind her. :eek:

 

And to the poster who mentioned hanging onto the mane, that doesn't hurt them. Far better to do that than to pull on the reins and yank on the mouth, which does hurt.

[woodofpine]

I rode a passo in Puerto Rico...

 

And to the poster who mentioned hanging onto the mane, that doesn't hurt them. Far better to do that than to pull on the reins and yank on the mouth, which does hurt.

 

I'm no true horseman, but I'd like to think I'm not as bad as my 'showing' daughters (#1 and 3) laughingly claim...

 

I thought the passo had an unusual cool gait... I liked it (sort of clipped and abrupt, made me feel like Pancho Villa!:D). At Rancho Daimari on Aruba they used Australian saddles too, which I liked. Much more baffoon proof than English (good thing) but still lighter than the standard American saddle. Daimari and Rancho del Campo offer a good experience on Aruba (and pier to pier transport) should you get down there, better than Rancho Notorious that caters to the hotel trade up on the north beaches.

 

The passo they gave me (I told them I was experienced intermediate) once he broke full stride (gallop) he really wouldn't walk (and I felt for his mouth). It was a reining wrestle keeping him out of a cantor. I was having excited fun with it (he wasn't surly just energetic), but I was trying to be group oriented polite. That horse must have had a mouth made of steel. Finally, the rancheros were, 'Just go on ahead. You probably remember and he certainly knows his way back!' So DD#1 and I just moved on at pace. It was fun... but unlike any other public ride I've had...

[kalliekae]

Kalliekae, When we did this excursion DH and I were not interested in the water portion of the ride. We asked if DD and her friend could have our turn and the guides let them do the water portion twice. Both are riders and were thrilled to do that twice. Just mentioning that so if you decide to do the ride and wish to skip the water portion you may also be able to give your "turn" to someone else.;)

 

 

What a great idea! I will pass this along to our non-swimmer. Thanks!