Show-jumping chic

[ellarien]

Question for my horse-loving friends: are the horses in the Olympic show-jumping ring actually wearing little hats that cover their ears? And if so, does it serve any purpose or is it purely decorative?

Comments

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Fly protection. Flies and gnats will eat horses' ears until they bleed. In the process they will get inside and cause horses to shake their heads incessantly. You do not want this while galloping cross-country or jumping high fences. A horse shaking its head is not only distracted, it's off balance. Can fall-go-boom.

[ellarien]

Ah, that makes sense. Thank you!

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I've also heard that riders sometimes put cotton wool in their horse's ears to muffle the sound of the crowd, announcers etc. Though the ear protectors are actually designed to keep off flies and midges, they also hold the cotton wool in place.

[ellarien]

Earplugs! That thought had crossed my mind, too.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

Others have beaten me to the purpose, but have an icon with a horse not wearing a fly mask.

[ellarien]

;-)