Jamaica Horseback Riding in the Water

[pixiedustedme]

Has anyone done this? I'm referring to an excursion where you ride horses through the water, up to your waist or so. I'm curious what people's experiences were, and if so if the horses were kept in good condition.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

Yes and it was the coolest experience of my life! You really see how powerful those animals are. I can’t speak to how the horses were cared for because I know nothing about it. But we also went with a different company from an all inclusive resort. Definitely a must do.

 

[SamFaniam]

Horses can swim, and some like swimming in the ocean. However, just like humans walking in the sand is tiring for horses, and swimming in an area with waves or tidal pull is also tiring. A horse should not swim in the ocean for more than 10 minutes or so. You mentioned that the pictures show the water coming up to the riders waist. That means that the horse is completely swimming. Any person riding like this should be an excellent swimmer, and I would not recommend this with a horse that is new to you. To make sure the animals are well cared for, you should ask ahead of time if the horses are immediately washed with freshwater after going into the ocean. This helps to protect their coats, particularly where the saddle and tack touch them. Just like humans, salt water and beach sand can irritate a horse's skin.

 

[ryankski]

When we did a cruise on carnival several years a go we were at their private island in the Caribbean. We saw people do this and watched as one horse in the group pooped in the water.

We laughed so hard and it looked disgusting for the riders as the poopy water floated around them.

 

[ktate82]

A coworker did this with his wife on their honeymoon. He said when they started to put on the water saddles, the horses tried to pull away, Then the horses were reluctant to go into the water, and the leaders forced them to go. He said then the horses couldn't wait to get out of the water, and he wouldn't do it again.

 

[pixiedustedme]

A coworker did this with his wife on their honeymoon. He said when they started to put on the water saddles, the horses tried to pull away, Then the horses were reluctant to go into the water, and the leaders forced them to go. He said then the horses couldn't wait to get out of the water, and he wouldn't do it again.

Yikes. That's a bad sign as trained horses typically have no issue with their saddles being put on. I do have past experience with horses and would be able to tell on sight if they were decently cared for or not, but I can't really tell from the videos, hence my question. This seems to indicate that horses dislike the experience a lot, which would not make it something I'd like to do.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Horses can swim, and some like swimming in the ocean. However, just like humans walking in the sand is tiring for horses, and swimming in an area with waves or tidal pull is also tiring. A horse should not swim in the ocean for more than 10 minutes or so. You mentioned that the pictures show the water coming up to the riders waist. That means that the horse is completely swimming. Any person riding like this should be an excellent swimmer, and I would not recommend this with a horse that is new to you. To make sure the animals are well cared for, you should ask ahead of time if the horses are immediately washed with freshwater after going into the ocean. This helps to protect their coats, particularly where the saddle and tack touch them. Just like humans, salt water and beach sand can irritate a horse's skin.

For most of the time, the water was not over the horses' backs, but rather up to the riders' thighs or so. I saw one picture of some people in up to their waists. I agree, that should be the highlight of a ride and not the bilk of a long ride- otherwise too exhausting. But given the PP's response, it doesn't sound like something I want to do, anyway. Some trail horses are well-treated and others aren't. You can only know by seeing them or hearing others' first-hand accounts, and I didn't like what I heard from the PP about her friend's experoence with it.

 

[belle032]

I am an avid horseback rider and I'm always cautious of these excursions. If there's a way to google the company that is contracted through the excursion, you could get an idea of the quality of the stables. Some stables in the islands really are great and the horses well cared for, others are not. Check out Trip Advisor if you can for first hand reviews. I do agree with other posters that many horses like swimming! However, some do not, and they shouldn't be dragged into the water at any time. It only makes them scared and could lead to further trauma. It's like pushing a kid into a pool to teach them to swim.

One thing I would never do, and I get so angry when I see tourists using them, are carriage rides on the islands. The horses are treated horribly and I just want to rescue all of them. Please don't ever support that industry!

 

[deanimal]

When we did this excursion last spring we changed horses to do the water part. We were told that some of the horses were happier in the water and they chose them based on that. Everyone wore life jackets for the swim. We did about an hour long trail ride followed by about 15 minutes in the water, maybe 5 minutes was actual swimming. I was quite surprised at how powerful the animals were in the water; my horse was full on swimming faster than I could have run. Our cruise excursion company seemed well run. The handlers were good and the horses didn't shy away or seem ill handled. They had plenty of pep on the trail ride, unlike some of the plodding trail horses I've encountered in North America. The area itself seemed grubby and neglected, but all of Jamaica looked that way to me, so it's hard to say much from that.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I decided awhile ago to stay away from excursions with animals involved.
I did a trip to Costa Rica several years ago & part of it was horseback riding up a mountain.
Those horses were treated poorly. I love animals & I just couldn't justify what I was seeing vs. trying to have a good time.
Please consider something else.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I decided awhile ago to stay away from excursions with animals involved.
I did a trip to Costa Rica several years ago & part of it was horseback riding up a mountain.
Those horses were treated poorly. I love animals & I just couldn't justify what I was seeing vs. trying to have a good time.
Please consider something else.

Agreed. That's why I asked, because I am wary of animals being used for tourists' entertainment (as they are with swim with dolphins or dog sledding up north). I have past experience with horseback riding and know that the way trail ride horses are cared for can vary widely. I thought I'd ask around and give this a chance, but most of what I've heard so far isn't promising, so I'm going to pass on this experience.