what do racehorses see?

​Horses, in general, not only the thoroughbred, are prey animals, their ancient position in the food-chain was as sustenance to feed the big cats. It is why horses have developed large ears and eyes on the sides of their heads to more easily see the approach of predators and large flaming nostrils to detect the aroma of trouble close by. It is also why, even to this day when no such predators exist, that when there are a large number of horses in a field, as with broodmares on stud-farms, one horse will remain standing while the others snooze on the ground. Also, because of their size and weight, horses can only sleep for short periods off their feet, I think twenty-minutes or so, otherwise the weight of their bodies crush their lungs. It is why stable staff were traditionally given afternoons off so to allow horses a peaceful period in which to doze on their feet without interruption.
Because it is embedded in their D.N.A. to always be alert to danger, at least as I have come to recognise it, racehorses can be easily distracted on the racecourse and during a race. You see at the start – a horse staring into the distance at something the jockey, whose concentration is much more on the here and now, can neither see or comprehend how or understand why his horse should be interested in it. It might be a fox or deer moving about in woodland or something equally innocuous as a cat on a fence-post or ewes calling for their lambs. Of course, as they rely as much on smell as either eyesight or hearing, it might be a strange smell that has stirred their curiosity. Horses, I read in an old book, recently, are particularly spooked by the smell of pigs, stallions especially so.
This topic came to mind after seeing Sam Spinner make that horrendous error at Doncaster on Saturday. A jockey will say that he was on the wrong stride approaching a fence where his horse fell or made a bad error or that his horse does not have the capability to lengthen or shorten going into a fence. I have no doubt that on many an occasion they are right. Who am I to argue or question their greater knowledge? But why should a good jumper of a fence like Sam Spinner jump every fence in a 3-mile chase accurately and then be so wrong at one particular fence?
Some of you may be aware of an American author and animal scientist by the name of Temple Grandin. She is autistic and her condition allows her to perceive the world in which she lives in a similarly visual way to animals. She was known in the U.S. as a translator, trouble-shooter and advisor on animal welfare issues to everyone from Drug Administration to Burger King and Macdonalds. Her powers of observation are boosted by her autism and many of her resolutions to problems can be quite left-field. Her books are well-worth reading.
She is so expert in her field that MacDonalds’ employed her to overhaul their methods of slaughtering the cattle used in their hamburgers and such-like. A strange project, you might think, for an animal lover to take on but Grandin saw it solely as an animal welfare issue. The problem she had to solve was that the cattle, unsurprisingly, needed to be forced to go toward the slaughter-house and were stressed when they reached the point of departure. Grandin came to her solution not by giving the problem extensive thought and research but by getting down on her hands and knees in the runs and experiencing what the cattle saw, heard and smelled as they approach their destination. Her solution was to redesign the runs, having the walls built higher and the actual runs changed from straight to curving. Macdonalds, to their credit, implemented Grandin’s design in every one of their slaughter-houses.
I would propose someone of a similar nature be employed to take a similar approach to every fence on British racecourses that is considered ‘awkward’ or that horses make more than the average number of mistakes at each meeting. There may well be something in the far distance that is distracting the horse as it approaches the fence. And the horse may not be seeing whatever this object happens to be when in the wings of the fence; it may be ten strides from the fence that this object captures its eye. Of course, it may be random, as I said before a fox or cat, the smell of a barbeque, which cannot be legislated for. Sometimes though it might be a danger than can be removed or camouflaged. Or perhaps a fence could be moved forward or backward or a line of fences realigned.
Gary Moore lost a good horse at Cheltenham on Saturday, Knocknanuss. I dare say Cheltenham and the Inspector of fences Richard Linley will enquire into the circumstances that led to his sad demise but will they have the special skills of someone like Temple Grandin who can see what the animal sees as it approaches that particular fence? Of course, the circumstances that conspired to the sad death of Knocknanuss may never be replicated again. It may have had nothing to do with something in the far distance distracting the horse. But it might. And if it does, the racecourse and the B.H.A. has a duty of care to take remedial action.