The Half Moon Equestrian Centre has been part of the Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay for nearly forty years, making it one of the longest-established equestrian programmes in the Caribbean. But it is the director, Trina de Lisser — international show jumper, retired FEI judge, and one of the most quietly impressive equestrians working in the region — who makes it extraordinary. Under her care, the horses are meticulously schooled, the instruction is genuinely skilled, and the beach ride into the Caribbean Sea is, for many guests, the single most joyful hour of their holiday.
Whether you are a complete beginner meeting a horse for the first time, or an experienced rider looking for private instruction, jumping lessons, or a polo clinic, the centre offers a programme that takes you seriously. And when the lesson ends and you walk your horse into the surf at Sunrise Beach, the warm water rising around your boots, the reasons why become entirely clear.
The Experience
The morning heat is already present when you arrive at the stable yard, but it is the kind of warmth that feels like a welcome rather than a warning. The horses are in their stalls, calm and well-kept. A guide introduces you to yours. If you have ridden before, Trina or one of her instructors will have already registered that; the horse you are given will reflect it. This level of attention is not accidental.
The ride begins in the arena. Even for confident riders, a few minutes on the flat here is worth it — you understand the horse, the horse understands you, and the guide can see exactly what pace and what terrain will suit you both. It is unhurried, professional, and disarming in how personal it feels for a resort experience.
Then the paths through the resort grounds open out and you are heading toward the beach. The route is quietly beautiful — palm-lined, dappled, the scent of sea air strengthening as you approach. And then Sunrise Beach appears, and the Caribbean, and for a moment it is hard to know what to look at.
The Surf and Turf experience takes the whole thing a step further. Saddles come off at the water’s edge. You and your horse walk into the surf, then deeper, until the horse is swimming and you are holding its mane, the warm sea around you both. It is, by any honest measure, extraordinary.
About Half Moon Resort Equestrian Centre
The Half Moon Equestrian Centre sits within the grounds of the Half Moon Resort, one of Montego Bay’s most established luxury properties, and has been offering riding experiences to guests and visitors for close to forty years. But it is under the leadership of Trina de Lisser that the centre has developed into something with genuine equestrian credibility, rather than simply a resort amenity.
Trina is a Kingston-born horsewoman who grew up in polo circles through her father — himself an international competitor — and went on to compete in show jumping at FEI level before qualifying as an FEI judge. She runs the centre with the standards of a serious equestrian operation: the horses are fit, schooled, and individually assessed; the instruction is technically sound; and the welfare of the animals is treated as a professional responsibility rather than a marketing note.
The programme covers a wide range of experiences — from introductory arena sessions and private jumping lessons for children aged six and above, to beach trail rides and the Surf and Turf swim, which allows riders to take their horse into the sea off Sunrise Beach. The centre is open to both resort guests and visitors from outside, Monday through Saturday. The Pony Park, with its mix of ponies, donkeys, rabbits, and goats, makes it a natural stop for families travelling with young children who are not yet ready to ride but are entirely ready to be enchanted.
