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Racehorse Equipment Guide: Essential Gear for Horse Racing

Published on: February 2, 2025

By: Miles HenryFact Checked

What gear do racehorses wear, and how does this equipment impact their performance on the track? If you’ve ever watched a race, you’ve probably noticed that no two horses wear exactly the same tack. That’s because each piece of gear serves a unique purpose, from improving focus to maximizing speed and safety.

With over 25 years in the racehorse industry, I’ve seen firsthand how the right equipment can make all the difference. Some horses need blinkers to stay focused, while others require a tongue tie to help them breathe better. Racehorse equipment isn’t just about appearance—it’s about optimizing performance.

In this guide, I’ll break down the essential gear racehorses wear, why each piece matters, and how trainers choose the right equipment for their horses. Whether you’re a racing fan, horse owner, or just curious about how these athletes are prepared for competition, this article gives you an inside look at the tools that help racehorses perform at their best.

Racehorses wearing blinkers, saddles, and leg wraps during a race.
Racehorses wear specialized equipment to maximize focus, speed, and safety.

Why Lightweight Equipment is Crucial for Racehorses

In horse racing, weight can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Every extra pound a horse carries affects its speed, and races are often decided by mere inches. To maintain fairness and optimize performance, trainers, jockeys, and racing officials carefully regulate weight.

Jockeys provide their own saddles, which can weigh anywhere from 2 to 10 pounds. To minimize additional weight, race saddles are much smaller and lighter than traditional ones. Research suggests that adding just 2 pounds can slow a racehorse by 1-2 lengths, which is a serious disadvantage in a sport where races are won by fractions of a second. This is why organizations like The Jockey Club enforce strict weight guidelines for both jockeys and horses.

Beyond jockey weight, some racehorses are assigned additional lead weights to meet race conditions, ensuring fairness across different horses and races. Learn more about the impact of handicapping and assigned race weights on performance in this comprehensive guide on racehorse weight assignments. Trainers must carefully balance weight, speed, and endurance to maximize a horse’s potential while staying within racing regulations.

Headgear: Essential Equipment for Racehorses

A racehorse’s headgear is carefully chosen to enhance performance, focus, and control. Different horses require different equipment depending on their temperament, experience, and racing conditions.

Some horses are naturally more anxious and reactive to their surroundings. Trainers use blinkers, earplugs, and shadow rolls to manage distractions and reduce stress. Learn more about how stress impacts racehorse behavior.

Blinkers

Blinkers help racehorses stay focused by limiting peripheral vision, preventing distractions from the grandstand, other horses, or sudden movements on the track. Some also include earpieces to muffle noise. Trainers often use blinkers to put horses in a competitive mindset, helping them concentrate on running rather than their surroundings.

I had a colt that constantly looked around during workouts, distracted by the grandstand and other horses. After adding blinkers, he focused better and broke sharper out of the gate. Learn more about the role of blinkers in horse racing.

Racehorse in the paddock wearing blinkers before a race.
Blinkers help racehorses focus by limiting distractions from their surroundings.

Shadow Rolls

A shadow roll is a sheepskin noseband placed on the bridle to block a horse’s lower vision, preventing distractions from shadows or track markings. By encouraging a lower head carriage, it helps some horses maintain a more balanced, efficient stride, which reduces wasted motion and improves speed. Horses that naturally carry their heads too high often lose momentum and take inefficient strides, so trainers use shadow rolls to keep their focus forward.

A dramatic example occurred in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, where Dayjur jumped a trackside shadow near the finish line, costing him the race. This highlights why shadow rolls are crucial for preventing distractions on race day.

Bits for Racehorses: Types & Their Impact on Performance

In horse racing, selecting the appropriate bit is crucial for effective communication between jockey and horse, ensuring both performance and safety. Bits function by applying pressure to various parts of the horse’s mouth, head, and neck, facilitating control and guidance.

Common Types of Racing Bits:

  • Snaffle Bit: A direct pressure bit that applies force to the horse’s mouth without leverage. It’s commonly used in racing for its simplicity and effectiveness.
  • Ring Bit: A ring bit features a ring that encircles the horse’s lower jaw, providing extra control for horses that struggle with drifting in or out during races. paulickreport.com
  • Curb Bit: Utilizes leverage to apply pressure not only on the mouth but also on the poll and chin groove, offering enhanced control for stronger horses. en.wikipedia.org
  • Haughton Bit: Designed for horses that are difficult to control, this bit combines elements of both snaffle and curb bits to provide increased leverage and steering capability. In my experience, using a Haughton bit on one of our particularly headstrong racehorses significantly improved the jockey’s ability to maintain control during races.

Choosing the right bit requires careful consideration of a horse’s temperament, responsiveness, and specific behavioral tendencies. It’s essential to balance the need for control with the horse’s comfort to promote optimal performance on the track.

Tongue Ties

Racehorses often wear tongue ties to enhance control and breathing efficiency during races. Here’s how they help:

  • Prevents the tongue from slipping over the bit, which can cause loss of control.
  • Helps horses with soft palate displacement, a condition that blocks airflow and reduces oxygen intake.
  • Keeps the tongue forward, ensuring an open airway for improved stamina and performance.
  • Most tongue ties are made from cloth, rubber, nylon, or leather. Find out why tongue ties are commonly used in racehorses in this detailed guide on racehorse tongue ties.

Australian Cheekers (Bit Lifters)

These rubber bridle attachments help keep the bit positioned correctly in the horse’s mouth. They prevent the tongue from going over the bit while also reducing tongue pressure. Some trainers believe they have a psychological effect, making an overly aggressive horse less likely to pull hard on the bit.

Earplugs for Racehorses: Reducing Noise & Improving Focus

Racehorses are highly sensitive to sound, and loud environments can unsettle them. Trainers use earplugs to muffle noise, keeping horses calm and focused. Some wear them throughout the race, while others have them removed at the gate for a final boost of alertness.

Two famous examples of racehorses that used earplugs are Zenyatta and American Pharoah. Zenyatta’s white cotton earplugs stood out against her dark bay coat, while American Pharoah’s sheepskin earplugs blended in so well that many didn’t realize he wore them. Trainer Bob Baffert credited earplugs with helping American Pharoah stay calm amid roaring crowds during his Triple Crown run.

Racehorse being led before a race wearing a saddle.
Proper saddle and girth fit are crucial for a racehorse’s comfort and performance.

Essential Body Equipment for Racehorses

Beyond headgear, racehorses require specialized body equipment to enhance comfort, support performance, and prevent injuries. From saddles to leg protection, each piece of equipment serves a purpose in optimizing performance and preventing injury.

Saddles & Girths: Fit and Comfort Matter

Race saddles are much smaller and lighter than traditional saddles, allowing jockeys to maintain better control while minimizing weight. However, the girth—the strap securing the saddle—plays an equally important role in a horse’s comfort and performance.

Some horses are highly sensitive to girths, a condition known as girthiness, which can lead to resistance, discomfort, and even poor race performance. Proper girth fit and careful monitoring for signs of discomfort are essential to ensuring a horse is focused and running at its best. Learn more about girthiness in horses and how to address it in this detailed guide on girth sensitivity.

Bandages (Leg Wraps) & Boots: Protecting Racehorse Legs

Racehorse trainers use bandages and boots to protect a horse’s legs from injuries during races and workouts. Bandages help prevent interference injuries (when a horse accidentally strikes itself with its own hooves) and can also protect against burns caused by a horse’s fetlocks or pasterns rubbing against the track surface. Additionally, bandages are sometimes used for support and stability during training.

However, some racing commissions ban certain types of boots in official races, as they can alter a horse’s natural stride or provide an unfair advantage. It’s crucial that bandages are applied correctly, as improper wrapping can lead to injuries instead of preventing them. To learn more about why racehorses wear leg wraps and the different types used, check out this detailed guide on leg wraps and boots.

I had a racehorse that consistently clipped his own front legs when he reached full speed, despite an otherwise flawless stride. After noticing light abrasions on his fetlocks after workouts, we started using front leg wraps for protection. They prevented further injury and gave me peace of mind knowing he wouldn’t compromise his performance due to discomfort.

Three-year-old Thoroughbred wearing leg wraps while walking in the paddock before her first race.
My three-year-old Thoroughbred wears leg wraps for support and injury prevention while schooling before her first race.

Lip Chains/Lead Shanks

I’ve had horses that were difficult to lead on race day, and a well-placed lip chain made a huge difference in keeping them under control without excessive force. Lip chains and lead shanks are used to maintain control while leading a horse, particularly high-strung racehorses.

These devices consist of chains or ropes that run through the horse’s mouth or over the gums, helping to manage difficult horses. Some lead shanks are covered with vet wrap to reduce discomfort while still providing control.

Nose & Poll Pressure Aids: How They Work

A string placed over the nose and around the poll is sometimes used on horses that pull too hard while being led or tacked up. The pressure applied to the poll encourages the horse to lower its head and relax, making handling easier. This technique is typically used with sensitive or strong-willed horses that require additional control without excessive force.

Thoroughbred in a cooling sheet walking to the saddling area before a race.
A Thoroughbred wearing a cooling sheet while being led to the saddle area before a race.

Additional Racehorse Gear: What Else They Wear

Beyond essential racing tack, racehorses wear additional gear before and after races to regulate body temperature and ensure peak physical condition. These items help keep them comfortable in different weather conditions and aid in recovery after intense competition.

Paddock Blankets

Paddock blankets are commonly used to keep racehorses warm before a race, especially in colder weather. These blankets help maintain muscle warmth and flexibility, reducing the risk of stiffness before competition. Trainers use paddock blankets strategically based on the horse’s coat condition, temperature, and pre-race routine.

Cooling Sheets

After a race, cooling sheets help regulate a horse’s body temperature and aid recovery. These lightweight sheets wick away excess moisture and heat, preventing a horse from cooling down too quickly, which can lead to muscle cramps or discomfort.

Using the right cooling sheet for the right conditions is essential for maintaining post-race comfort and recovery. Learn more about the different types of cooling sheets and when to use them in this guide to cooling sheets and blankets.

Racehorse walking toward racing officials for pre-race equipment inspection.
A racehorse being led toward officials for a pre-race equipment check.

Equipment Rules and Regulations

Every piece of racehorse equipment must comply with strict regulations to ensure fairness and horse welfare. These rules vary by jurisdiction and influence what gear trainers can use on race day.

In the U.S., for example, blinkers must be declared before a race to maintain transparency for bettors and race officials, as they can significantly impact a horse’s performance. Similarly, tongue tie regulations differ between the U.S. and the UK, with some jurisdictions enforcing stricter welfare guidelines.

For a deeper look at official tack and safety regulations, check the New Orleans Fairgrounds Rules Guide.

Understanding these rules helps trainers, jockeys, and owners stay compliant while ensuring competitive integrity in horse racing.

FAQs: Racehorse Equipment Explained

Racehorse gear plays a crucial role in performance, safety, and control. Below are answers to common questions about the equipment trainers and jockeys use to help horses compete at their best.

Why do racehorses wear blinkers?

Blinkers limit peripheral vision, keeping horses focused on the track and preventing distractions from the crowd or other horses. Trainers use them to improve concentration and enhance performance.

What is the purpose of a tongue tie in horse racing?

A tongue tie prevents the tongue from slipping over the bit, which could cause a loss of control. It also helps horses with soft palate displacement, keeping the airway open for better breathing and stamina.

How do jockeys choose the right saddle for a race?

Jockeys select lightweight racing saddles based on weight requirements and riding style. Saddles typically weigh between 2 and 10 pounds to minimize extra weight while ensuring stability and control.

Do all racehorses wear the same tack?

No, each horse’s equipment is customized based on its behavior, running style, and training needs. Some require blinkers for focus, while others need specific bits for better control. Trainers adjust tack to maximize each horse’s performance.

Why do racehorses wear leg wraps or bandages?

Leg wraps and bandages protect a horse’s legs from injury during races and workouts. They help prevent interference injuries, provide support, and safeguard against track surface burns. Some racing jurisdictions regulate or ban certain types of boots in races.

Horses racing with various racing equipment.
Racehorses wear various equipment when racing.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Racehorse Equipment

The right equipment can make all the difference in a racehorse’s performance, focus, and safety. As a trainer, I’ve learned that no two horses are alike, and choosing the right gear requires careful observation and experience.

What tack or equipment have you used on your own horses? Have blinkers, tongue ties, or specific bits made a difference? Share your experiences in the comments! I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. You can also connect with me on social media or reach out via email to continue the conversation.

Ultimately, racehorse equipment is a tool—not a shortcut. When used correctly, it can help a horse reach its full potential while staying comfortable and focused on race day.

Miles Henry

About the Author: Miles Henry

Miles Henry is a lifelong horseman with over 25 years of experience owning and training Thoroughbred racehorses. He shares expert insights from his personal experiences growing up with horses, including Quarter Horses and Appaloosas, and currently owns seven Thoroughbreds in training.

Learn more about Miles Henry