i was just wondering what peoples opinion are on headgear ..i usually wait for jockey feedback on whither to try blinkers if there not genuine etc..and if a horse does not need then they usually dont settle in them but i have a sprinter who i bred who was running ok finishing maybe 5th or 6th in big handicapps running well without winning so as a 4year old i decided it try and get his handicap reduced..1 way i tend to do this is by applying blinkers and as it always tends to make horses run below bar when they dont need them..so i stick blinkers on and he bolts up in the wokingham by 3 lengths..my 1st thought was hed improved dramatically from 3 to 4 and would be a surething without headgear in the stewards cup so i removed the blinkers and he ran ok finishing 5th ..i was slightly dissapointed ..i then reapplied the headgear for the air gold cup and he finished 7th..i know in realife that blinkers sometimes only do the job once but i didnt relise that some horses seem to run similar with or without them..i know my horses handicap went up a bit for winning the wokingham but it seems like a bit of a flash in the pan..it all adds nicely to the realism of a high quality game..i was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on headgear or thoughts theyd like to share on the subject is there a difference in the game of using cheekpieces visor or blinkers or do they all have the exact same effect

i have never put headgear on any of my horses ever. if they dont race to potential of their breeding they get retired. im quite ruthless lol

seriously...thats an intresting way of doing things i suppose...i like to keep a few dodgepots and try and get the best race i can out of them by trying different things .i got a group 2 out of a real quirky sort who showed nothing between 2 to 4.but theres nothin like a genuine group 1 performer tho

Normaly I put blinkers on if the castrating boss, I mean head lad says it`s a good idea. I do this after naming them as I hate it when a well bred 2yo suddenly runs way below what I expected and then the jockey tells me, don`t like been told twice.
I like your idea using the headgear for hcp purposes. Can`t do that in the league or we`d all be at it.

Don't understand the purpose of the 3 different types of headgear. In SO3, if a horse needed headgear, it didn't matter which one you used as long as you used one of them.

Can't say for SO4, since I've not once had a horse that needed headgear out of about 300 horses... but I imagine it is the same.

i havnt explored the league side of things yet..i think im might have to get involved..if i listened to my headlad id have no stallions to breed with as he seems to suggest i geld everything even a 16times g1 winner i have lol

ive been experimenting and there dosent seem to be much difference in there effects which has suprised me

I don't think different pacifiers make any difference but I tend to put blinkers/visor on flat runners and cheek pieces on jumpers, as in real life.

ok thanks for the feedback

I have a donkey who the head lad said needed a pacifier so I popped on some blinkers and guess what....it still ran like a donkey. But one good thing as come out of it and that is the head lad doesn't mention anything about it requiring a pacifier anymore.