In horse racing what is meant by the term "shadow roll"?

Question

In horse racing what is meant by the term "shadow roll"?

Answer 1

A shadow roll is a sheepskin noseband that sticks up on top of the horse's nose.  To horses, a shadow looks like a hole in the ground.  Most horses are ok with it and will keep going.  Some horses will try to avoid the hole or jump over it.  For those horses, you use a shadow roll so that the horse can't see the ground right below them, so they can't see the shadows.

A shadow roll might also be used to keep the horse's nose down in racing.  If a horse keeps its head too high it can't run as fast.  So they'll use a shadow roll because if the horse has his head too high with a shadow roll on, they won't be able to see what's in front of them.  So the horses learn that they have to keep their head lower to be able to see so the shadow roll will make them keep their noses down.

Some notable horses who wear shadow rolls are Tiago and Lava Man.  http://assets.espn.go.com/media/horse/Ti...

Answer 2

following behind another horse

Answer 3

A shadow roll is a piece of equipment, usually made of sheepskin or a synthetic material, that is attached to the noseband of a horse's bridle. Like blinkers, it partially restricts the horse's vision, and helps him to concentrate on what is in front of him, rather than objects on the ground (such as shadows).