BARBADOS SEA HORSES

Watch horses swimming - just minutes FROM YOUR FAVOurite HOTEL

If you fancy a walk before breakfast and want to enjoy a bit of Barbados culture too, we’ve got exactly what you need. Just a few minutes’ walk along the beach from Coconut Court, you’ll find race horses enjoying an early morning sea bath.

Back to Coconut Court in time for breakfast...
 

It’s a fantastic sight - and the horses love it too. Swimming keeps the horses fit and allows them to exercise without stress and risk of injury. Sea water aids recovery too.
The best times to see the horses are early on Thursday morning or on a Sunday morning when there has been a race meeting the day before. But there’s a chance you’ll see them every day – you just need to get there shortly after dawn. 
And then you can saunter back to Coconut Court in time for breakfast. What a great start to the day! 

Have a flutter
 

Many of the grooms have worked with horses all their lives and come from families with long connections to racing. The grooms are happy to pose for pictures and usually keen to talk to tourists about their job and the horses. ​ Of course the next thing you have to do is have a flutter on the horse you’ve seen swimming – the grooms will tell you when it's next racing. Horse racing in Barbados goes back a long way and the nearby Garrison Savannah is generally acknowledged to be the Caribbean centre of the sport of kings. Most mornings, you can also see the horses working out at the track. Some of the horses come down to the beach after they’ve done a few laps here. These early morning jaunts are ideal for those who are keen to do a bit of research.  And remember, you don’t have to go into the stand to watch the horses on race day. Although it’s great fun and a super atmosphere you can get up close without paying an entrance fee. You won’t be near the winning post, but you can see the horses from the roadside and there are booths where you can bet your shirt on the horse you saw in the water earlier in the week. Directions: To see the horses swimming, go to Pebbles Beach near Barbados Cruising Club anytime from dawn. Walk out of Coconut Court to the beach, turn right, walk a few hundred yards, and then cut inland behind the Hilton Hotel. Walk along the beach until you come to the Barbados Cruising Club. The race track is also a short walk along the road from the hotel.