Placed laterally, the eyes of the horse allow him in the wild to see predators coming from afar, even behind him. This expanded field of vision can become a handicap in the home state in stressful environments like racetracks. The use of blinkers then makes it possible to keep the horse's attention on what is happening in front of him, his leader, and his race. They also prevent him from being distracted by the crowd and other competitors without, however, significantly modifying his performance.