Ear Bonnets - Does Your Horse Need Them?

Ear Bonnets are a common horse accessory worn on the horses' head to prevent bugs, flies and dirt from entering your horses' ears, which can be irritating or distressing to the horse. Some horses have sensitive ears and maybe irritated by wind, mane or forelocks. For this reason amongst others ear bonnets are popular in the horse arena.

If a horse is scared or distracted by noises, ear bonnets can help muffle sounds or ear buds are sometimes used if a horse is particularly unsettled. It also helps prevent the horse from getting distracted and helps them to focus on what is happening inside the arena. Some horse trainers like to use ear bonnets as part of their show uniform and they believe that the horse learns to associate wearing the ear bonnets as part of what they need to do in the arena. Ear bonnets are available in materials such as polyester or cotton and are sometimes crocheted. They can be padded for comfort and are available in many different styles and colours.

When the horses' hearing is reduced, they depend more on the rider for directions in terms of touch and also listening to other aids.