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by karthwyn on May 30th, 2005

karthwyn

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Why do people put blinders on horses?

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Answers. 10 helpful answers below.

  • by KCTrey on May 31st, 2005

    KCTrey

    Basically, blinders are used to keep the horse focused on what is in front of it.

    Since the horse can't see everything in it's peripheral vision, it keeps the horse from becoming distracted or scared. You will notice that blinders are used in situations where there may a lot of distractions, such as public places.

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  • by Dragongrace on March 12th, 2007

    Dragongrace

    mostly to keep horses to wach only what is in frount of it. For example, a race horse had to wear a 'hood'(blinkers) because a horse fell under it while passing on the outside. He spooked whenever a horse passed him there, so they blocked his vision on that eye so that the horse could not see how close his opponent was to that side until it was a little in in frount of him. Therefore, he was not startled when a horse tried to pass him on that side. It would not suddenly scare him either because he could still hear his opponent.
    Here is a pic of the racehorse Secretariat with a 'hood' on:

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  • by luv_horsez25 on May 7th, 2007

    luv_horsez25

    I'm not sure about the different reasons(if there are any) but i do know that in horse racing and when ur driving a horse in a cart, the blinders are to stop the horse from getting distracted from the things on it's side.
    Hope that helps

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  • by Pushka on January 17th, 2007

    Pushka

    Blinders are used mostly on horses used for pulling objects, eg. carriages and machinery. The blinders are to stop the horse from seeing anything that will spook them and put them and other people in danger, they are also to keep the horse focused on the task in hand

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  • by robin banks on November 7th, 2005

    robin banks

    Blindfolds are sometimes put on horses as a method of restraint. It stops the horse seeing what is going on, including sight of the worming syringe, or syringe for injecting into muscle. It is sometimes combined with other restraints, such as knee hobbles, and a twitch. For treatments that require the horse to stay still, restraints are often necessary. It means both horse and handlers stay safe.

    I have not attempted to lead a horse wearing a blindfold, so am not sure how well it would work. I know blindfolds were used on the horses in Black Beauty, but of course that was fiction.

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  • by Aminor on June 9th, 2005

    Aminor

    And the site of most frequent use: race tracks, because some horses don't react well to the sight of horses beside or just behind them. Incidentally, it's supposedly true that if they're blindfolded, horses can be managed in situations that would otherwise panic them, like stable fires, a one-time standby of westen movies. Anyone know from their own experience if that's true?

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  • by Raziel Bolling on June 7th, 2005

    Raziel Bolling

    Horses can only really see directly in front of them and to the immediate left or right of them. Anywhere else is mostly a blind spot, and with horses being herd animals, anything they cant see spooks them, since they have good hearing and know theres something there, if they cant see it, it might eat them. So blinders are used to keep the horse focused on what it can definately see so it doesnt get so easily scared, since the blinders prevent blind spots. Its an easy way of controlling the animal without it getting out of control.

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  • by AceJazz on July 25th, 2007

    AceJazz

    Blinders cut out the horses' vision from the side. when horses race or pull carts, blinders are used to keep the horses on track and focoused on what they are doing and what is in front of them. Distractions like other horses can get the horse distracted.

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  • by star wars freak on May 31st, 2005

    star wars freak

    it keeps the horse from wanting to go somewhere else when there
    guide is taking them somewhere.

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  • by Koz - Passion Perseverance Patience on April 20th, 2011

    Koz - Passion Perseverance Patience

    The same reason politicians put blinds on people. So they can only see a certain way.

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