All of the gear

Education series Part 1

This is the first part of the education series that is going to be a focal part of my blog. there are a lot of parts to racing that help get the horses to the races and lots of parts to the puzzle. The first part focuses on the gear we use for racing and training. ]

Gear is a huge part of racing and training horses. Most of the gear is the same but there are a few differences. As someone who grew up with my dad owning horses and then going into a job where I gained a role in saddling horses, I quickly realized I knew nothing about gear. Nothing at all. So I thought, if I know nothing, surely there are a few other people out there that perhaps don’t know all of the bits and pieces and might like to know. In this blog ill roughly introduce the gear we use on horses for training and racing.

Bridle – The bridle allows the rider to control the horse's head, and also the speed and direction of the horse

Red Ear Muffs

Red Earmuffs – Earmuffs are sock-like and encase the whole ear. They are worn in the mounting yard, reducing the effect of the noise from race crowds which can frighten some horses

Blinkers (visor, half cup, full cup) – are cups attached to the head that sits under the bridle to limit a horse’s vision in various ways. With their extraordinary wraparound vision, horses can normally see across 320 degrees without moving their heads. They come in different sizes, visors have a small gap at the back, and advise and encourage the horse to look forward. Half cup stops the horses from seeing behind them and limits the angle they can see sideways and behind. Full cups limit the vision almost completely and the horse can only see forward.

Pacifiers – are mesh cups sewn onto a fabric bonnet to protect the eyes from debris kicked up by other runners, something that is believed to cause some horses to slow down.

Side winkers – like a half cup or visor above, they are a piece of ‘fluffy’ that sit on the side of the bridle to control the horse’s vision somewhat to encourage them to look forward.

Shadow roll – A nose roll is a thick sheepskin sausage that is used to stop horses from being distracted by objects in their immediate foreground such as shadows. It also encourages horses to hold their head down instead of throwing their head around or holding their head up, which makes it a lot harder for the jockey to control the horse.

Left: Side winkers, Middle: Shadow roll, Right: Blinkers

Tongue-tie – involves looping a piece of an elastic band, strap, or nylon stocking around the tongue and securing it to the lower jaw. They are also thought to improve control as well as prevent displacement of the soft palate that can interfere with the airflow to the lungs. They help the horses to breathe whilst working or racing.

Noseband – Nosebands are straps added to the bridle and encircle the upper and lower jaws. They can be used to prevent horses from opening their mouths, giving the jockey greater control. They can be either rubber or leather and give different rigidness, with the latter being the more rigid version.

Nasal strip – reduce the effort needed to move air in and out of the lungs, resulting in less stress on the body during exercise and a faster recovery after exercise.

Barrier blanket – it assists horses who may be fractious in the barriers and also provides a layer between the horse and the barrier so they’re not up against the barrier and upset by knocking into the barrier

Barrier blindfold – it attempts to keep the horses calm from being startled and makes it a little easier to encourage them into the barrier pre-race. Once in the barrier, it is removed.

Bits – (ring bit, dee bit, straight bar, hanging bit) – different bits offer different things for riders. Generally, most horses run and train in a ring bit, it is the most common bridle bit racehorses use. However some horses need different things, and some horses don’t like the ring bit. Whilst there is quite a few options, most commonly the use either a dee bit (generally for younger horses), the straight bar is generally for horses who don’t like the ring bit (as it clinks in their mouth especially when they play with it) and some horses ‘hang’ so it assists the rider to straighten up the horse and gives the rider more control. Hanging bits work similar to the straight bar but are a little more intense.

Martingale/Rings – the martingale goes through the surcingle around the saddle and the reins. The martingale is designed to control a horse’s head carriage and gives some extra control aside from the bit. The martingale prevents the horses from throwing their head back, and so high that it hits the rider in the far either by the horse’s poll or upper neck. The martingale protects both the rider and horse from injury.