Blinkers, sometimes known as blinders, are a piece of

horse tack Tack is equipment or accessories equipped on horses and other equines in the course of their use as domesticated animals. This equipment includes such items as saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, and harnesses. Equipping a hors ...

that prevent the horse seeing to the rear and, in some cases, to the side.

Description

Blinkers are usually made of leather or plastic cups placed on either side of a horse's eyes - attached either to a bridle or to an independent hood. Blinkers that have a peep hole cut in the back of the cup are known as ''visors''. Many racehorse trainers believe that blinkers keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than to distractions such as crowds. Additionally, driving horses commonly wear blinkers to keep them from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets. Most

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...

disciplines, other than racing and harness competition, do not permit the use of blinkers at any time, under penalty of elimination. In racing, blinkers are usually seen attached to a synthetic hood placed under the bridle. In driving, they are attached to the bridle's cheekpieces.

Winkers and pacifiers

Sometimes, a "set of winkers" can refer to blinders, but winkers may also refer to a related item of tack, usually fleece tubes, that are placed on the cheekpieces of a bridle and work similarly to a

shadow roll A shadow roll is a piece of equipment, usually made of sheepskin or a synthetic material, that is attached to the noseband of a horse's bridle. Like blinkers, it partially restricts the horse's vision, and helps them to concentrate on what is in ...

to limit a horse's range of rear vision. They do not restrict the horse's view as much as blinkers do. In Australian

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse racing, winkers, (fleece rolls that are placed around the bridle cheek straps) may be used. Also used in Australian racing are "pacifiers," which are a blinker-style hood with mesh eye-covers, thought by some to calm horses. They may be banned from use on wet days as they may clog up with mud.

British blinder

In the United Kingdom, a bag or cloth blindfold put over the head of a difficult horse while it is being handled (for example loaded into starting gates or mounted) is called a blinder.

Metaphorical use

Both "blinker" and "blinder" are also used metaphorically to refer to people with an overly narrow focus or inability to see the larger picture. The term can be seen as implying "a limitation or obstruction to sight or discernment". Merriam-Webster
">Merriam-Webster">Merriam-Webster
/ref>

_See_also

*Blinders_(poultry).html" ;"title="Merriam-Webster
.html" ;"title="Merriam-Webster">Merriam-Webster
">Merriam-Webster">Merriam-Webster
/ref>

Description

Winkers and pacifiers

British blinder

Metaphorical use

_See_also

See also

See also

References

Further reading