| If you look at any race card you will see if a horse is | | | | pull in the early stages of a race and thus conserve its |
| wearing any type of headgear. The more common | | | | energy for the finish. Finally they can sometimes |
| types of headgear worn by race horses are Blinkers, | | | | encourage a horse that is reluctant to race. |
| Visor and Cheek Pieces. Another addition to a horses | | | | Cheek Pieces. In recent seasons the cheek piece, also |
| headgear is a tongue strap. | | | | known as French Blinkers, have become a popular |
| Blinkers. These are fitted to a horse to aid its | | | | form of racing headgear. The cheek piece consists of |
| concentration during the race. The blinkers are in fact | | | | two sheepskin bands attached to the side of the |
| cowls fitted to a head cloth and they can be either full | | | | horse bridle. Again the purpose is to restrict the horse |
| or half cup. The overall effect is to reduce a horses | | | | side vision and to help to concentrate on the race. |
| vision from 180 degrees down to a around 30 | | | | The Tongue Strap. A tongue strap ids fitted over the |
| degrees. | | | | horses tongue and this stops the tongue lifting and |
| Visors. These are similar to blinkers except that the | | | | restricting the air flow. A trainers will normally fit this to |
| cowl has a hole or slit in the side to allow the horse to | | | | a horse if they suspect that this has been a problem in |
| see other horses at its side. | | | | its previous races. Although tongue straps have been |
| Some people question how genuine a horse is that | | | | used for a long time in horse racing it is only on the last |
| needs blinkers but there is no doubt that in some | | | | ten years or so that it has been necessary to declare |
| cases they can bring about a much improved | | | | that a horse is wearing one. |
| performance. It is not uncommon that the first time a | | | | Other headgear sometimes worn by horse include: |
| horse races in blinkers it has the desired effect but in | | | | - Hoods are designed to cover the ears and are worn |
| subsequent races they seem to have no effect. | | | | by horses that are affected by noise. |
| There are three reasons why a trainer may decide to | | | | - Eye shields can be worn to give full vision but protect |
| fit blinkers to a horse. The first is to help the horse to | | | | the horses eyes. |
| concentrate and focus on the job in hand. They can | | | | - Eye cover can be worn by a horse which is blind in |
| also help a horse to stay calm and be less inclined to | | | | one eye or has an eye missing. |