Headgear is the kit a trainer puts on a horse’s head to change how it behaves in a race. Most of it is about focus: stopping a horse looking around, shying from other runners or idling in front. Some of it is about breathing. All of it has to be declared in advance and shows on the racecard as a small letter. A change of headgear is the cheapest tool a trainer has to try to turn a non-winner into a winner, which is why it is worth a second’s thought on every card.
The pieces and what they do
Blinkers (b). Cups fixed to a hood that block the horse’s vision to the side and behind. The horse can only see forwards, so it cannot see rivals coming or be distracted by the horse alongside. Blinkers sharpen a horse up and are the strongest form of headgear. They can also make a horse run too keenly, which is why a trainer will often try something milder first.
Cheekpieces (p). Strips of sheepskin on the cheek straps of the bridle. They narrow rear vision without removing it, a half-step towards blinkers, and are the most common headgear on British cards.
Visor (v). Blinkers with a slit cut in each cup, so the horse keeps a little side vision. Used when full blinkers make a horse too keen.
Hood (h). A fabric hood covering the ears that muffles noise. Hoods calm nervous horses, particularly at the start. Some horses wear a hood only to the start, removed before the race.
Tongue tie (t). A strap that holds the tongue down so it cannot slide back over the bit. The aim is to keep the airway clear and stop the horse “swallowing its tongue”, a breathing problem that stops horses finishing their races. It is a physical fix rather than a behavioural one, and when it works the improvement can be dramatic.
Eye shield (e). A mesh cover protecting the eyes from kickback, used mostly on the all-weather and on soft ground. Some horses dislike being hit in the face and run much better once shielded.
There is also the eye cover, a cup over one eye, and combinations such as tp (tongue tie and cheekpieces) are common.
How it shows on the card
Each piece is a lower-case letter next to the horse’s name or weight: b, p, v, h, t, e. A small 1 after the letter means first time, so b1 is first-time blinkers and p1 first-time cheekpieces. Some cards use a different convention for first time, so check the key.
Headgear must be declared at the overnight stage and, once a horse has run in it, the trainer has to declare any change. You will never be surprised on the day; the information is on the card the previous evening.
First-time headgear as an angle
A trainer does not put blinkers on a horse that is already doing everything right. First-time headgear is a signal that the trainer thinks the horse has more to give and has identified a reason. Sometimes that reason is an excuse and the horse is simply not good enough. Sometimes it is right and the horse improves 5lb or 10lb overnight.
Treat it as a question, not a tip. What has the horse been doing wrong? If the form comments say “hung left”, “found little”, “idled in front” or “ran too freely”, headgear addressing that problem makes sense. If the horse has simply been slower than its rivals, blinkers will not fix it.
The strongest first-time signals tend to be:
- First-time blinkers on a horse that has run well without winning, especially one that has been beaten narrowly or has a record of not finding much when asked. Blinkers on a horse that has run badly in cheekpieces already is less promising; the trainer is escalating, not solving.
- First-time tongue tie on a horse that has faded late in several races. If the problem was breathing, the fix is immediate.
- Headgear plus another change, such as a step up in trip, a drop in class or a new yard. One change is a tweak; three changes together is a plan.
- A trainer with a strong record in first-time headgear. Some yards use it rarely and only when confident. Their first-time blinker runners are worth a look every time.
The weaker signals are headgear changes on horses that have already tried 3 or 4 different combinations without improving, and headgear going on a horse that has run poorly on wrong ground or wrong trip, where the real problem is elsewhere.
A 4-year-old rated 68 has finished 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 4th in its last 4 handicaps, beaten under 2 lengths each time, with comments including “hung right” and “did not find as much as expected”. The trainer puts cheekpieces on for the first time and drops the horse 1f in trip. Nothing about the rating has changed, but the pattern of near-misses plus a specific fix for a specific fault is exactly the setup first-time headgear is for. Compare that with a horse that has been beaten 8, 12 and 15 lengths and now gets blinkers. Blinkers do not find 12 lengths.
Headgear coming off
Removing headgear is a signal too. A horse that was keen in blinkers may settle better without them. A horse whose blinkers “stopped working”, meaning the sharpening effect wore off after a few runs, can respond when they come off and go back on later. Watch for a horse returning to the headgear it won in; trainers go back to what worked.
Quick rules
- b blinkers, p cheekpieces, v visor, h hood, t tongue tie, e eye shield. A small 1 means first time.
- Blinkers are the strongest, cheekpieces the mildest. Tongue ties fix breathing, not behaviour.
- First-time headgear is a trainer’s signal that the horse has more to give. Check the form comments for the fault it is meant to fix.
- Headgear plus a class drop or trip change together is stronger than headgear alone.
- A horse on its 4th headgear combination is a trainer running out of ideas.
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