Look at almost any racecard and you'll see small letters next to some horses' names. These show the headgear the horse is wearing, and it's worth knowing what each piece is meant to do.
Blinkers (b). Cups that fit over the head and block side and rear vision, so the horse looks forward and stays focused on racing.
Visor (v). Similar to blinkers, but with slits in the eye-cups that allow some side vision. The horse can see other runners, which can help one that tends to panic.
Cheekpieces (p). Two lengths of soft sheepskin attached to the bridle, running from ear to mouth. Sometimes called French blinkers, they limit side vision and are used on horses that tend to drift off a straight line.
Hood (h). Padded ear covers with no eye-cups. A hood muffles crowd and race noise, and is used to calm nervous or highly strung horses, especially youngsters.
Eyeshield (es). Covers the whole eye, like goggles. It protects the eyes from kickback on all-weather surfaces and also restricts the view to help focus. Tongue tie or strap (t) keeps the tongue from obstructing breathing in horses that struggle with it.
First-time headgear. When a horse wears blinkers, a visor, cheekpieces or a hood for the first time, the letter is followed by a "1", for example b1 or h1. It tells you a trainer has made a deliberate change.
What it does and doesn't tell you. First-time headgear can be a sign a trainer is trying to sharpen a horse up or settle it, and it's worth noting. But it isn't a guarantee of improvement, and plenty of horses run no better in it, so it's a clue rather than a conclusion. A change of headgear also tells you nothing about how the horse has been working at home, and the price often already reflects it.
How we use it. When headgear appears on a card, we note it alongside the other factors, such as recent form, layoffs and weight, and we try not to lean on it more than it deserves.
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