RACING EXPLAINED: HEADGEAR WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

It is not an uncommon sight nowadays to see racehorses in all kinds of different gear. But what exactly is the point of it all?

Blinkers (abbreviated to b on the form card), visors (v) and cheekpieces (p); the purpose of which, to varying degrees, is to limit the horses’ peripheral vision. The aim of this is to encourage the horse to focus and not get distracted by crowds or other horses. The hood (h) covers the ears which muffles sound and reduces distractions from noise. Eyeshields (es) look similar to blinkers but are transparent, and their main purpose is to protect the eyes from kick-back. Eye covers (ec) are a much rarer occurrence, only typically used if one of the horse’s eyes is blind or damaged. Tongue straps (t) tie the horse’s tongue down, preventing the tongue from hanging out or going over the bit. Other gear that does not have to be declared are different types of nosebands, of which the most notable would be the sheepskin noseband which has the purpose of keeping the horse’s head down, and earplugs which have the same purpose as the hood. Something else that may be observed is the red hood, which helps to keep the horse calm before the race but is removed prior to it. As a side note, a 1 next to the abbreviation on the form card denotes that this is the first time the horse is wearing that headgear.

In reality, does any of this headgear make any difference? Anecdotally, it is suggested that the biggest effect on a horse is the first time it wears the gear, but the stats don’t particularly back this up. Though only a small number of races were surveyed, the result is a mixed bag. Hoods seem to be beneficial to chasers and flat racers, blinkers to flat racers only and visors actually seem to be a hindrance. Cheekpieces were the most common type of headgear in this sample and didn’t seem to make much difference except in hurdle races in which performance was improved slightly. The only headgear which makes a significant improvement to performance across almost all kinds of racing is the tongue strap.

But therein lies a problem. Yes, tongue straps should improve performance as it reduces obstruction in the airways, but at what cost? Studies have found that it causes stress in the horse and in some cases, can damage the tongue. There is a reason (such as discomfort) that a horse is trying to get its tongue over the bit and tying it down is not the solution.

Headgear can be beneficial on an individual basis, but unfortunately it cannot work miracles. Therefore, it may be unwise to back a horse just from the addition of gear alone. The use of tongue straps is an ongoing welfare issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.  Outside of welfare concerns, could it be argued that we need to look at the reasons behind the use of the headgear, rather than thinking of headgear as the answer?

written by Gabrielle Murray