{"id":14291,"date":"2022-12-06T14:43:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T18:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/?p=14291"},"modified":"2023-12-07T20:49:49","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T00:49:49","slug":"why-do-horses-wear-blinders-and-are-they-cruel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/why-do-horses-wear-blinders-and-are-they-cruel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Horses Wear Blinders? (And Are They Cruel?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Horses with jobs, such as racing or plowing a field, wear blinders to keep them focused on what they’re doing. The nature of the horse is fight or flight, with flight usually being its first choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All horses, even the most bombproof of characters, are capable of startling and doing something you don’t want them to do. Combine this instinct with the need to have them do a job and you get the need to use equipment that minimizes the potential of a spook or bolt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blinders and blinkers are used to reduce stress in the horse, allowing them to focus on their performance and what’s being asked of them without worrying about other stimuli. The use of blinders also helps develop a bond of trust between the driver or rider and their horse. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Also at issue is the fact the horse has a wide field of vision that enables it to either see two things at once, or focus on an individual object at will. Its brain can process what it’s seeing on both sides of its body and react accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Horses developed this wide field of vision due to the fact it’s a prey animal that has a need to watch for predators at all times. This evolutionary advantage sometimes turns into a disadvantage when it comes to using horses for work or pleasure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans learned that blinders made it easier to work with horses in the field during their domestication. Archaeology has found evidence of their use in the Egyptian period, and they may have even been in use long before then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blinders may look like they’re cruel, but ultimately, they’re a tool the same as a saddle, bridle, or harness. They aid in the control of a horse, and a horse learns how to relax and do its job with less stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read on to learn more about why do horses wear blinders, what blinders are, how they work, and their different purposes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n