crochet horse bonnets

I have one of those little crocheted horse bonnets. I use it on trail rides and spray it with fly spray first. I always thought that was what it was for....to keep off flies. Except I saw the Olympian horses wearing them....so are they really for that purpose?

They keep lil buggies and flies out of the ears.

It was raining during some of the jumping and some like to use them for fashion purposes as well. They do keep bugs out of their ears as well.

Some horses react to crowd noise and so they also can cover the fact that the ears are stuffed with cotton.
Not sure what the rules are about this on that level, but it is comon in smaller shows as well as using them for bugs or fashion.
I have them too.

I use one on my Hano mare, she's a total twit about the little no see ums or mosquitoes around her ears. She's still very rideable without if you don't mind her shaking her head if you didn't get enough spray on to keep the pests away Plus it looks pretty in the show ring for jumping. Also, if one were sensitive to noise it would be an easy way to hide ear plugs or cotton.

Oh yeah, disguising cotton in the ears thing....I've heard of that before and wondered if you would see the cotton or if it would fall out sometimes.

Funny thing is....I cut my ears off because mine is white and she looked like a certain ratial group.....lol.