The “Eye Ball” Training target [patent pending] is a new and exciting alternative to a standard training flag.
When horses encounter danger, their fight-or-flight response is almost always flight. The nocturnal eye directly supports this behavior. Unique from the human eye, horses can see limited colors, but do see high-levels of shading. They are able to quickly focus on multiple objects simultaneously. However, the nocturnal eye does come with limitations.
Horses have amazing peripheral vision but have two blind spots: one directly in front of the nose extending about four feet, and a second behind the tail extending about ten feet. In addition, the horse’s field of vision does not overlap. The left eye sees what’s happening on the left side, and the right eye sees what’s happening on the right side. When a horse has focused as best it can, its “near field vision” is only 3/5 that of the human, while it’s “far field vision” greatly exceeds that of the human. So while vision is good at night and at long distance, it is difficult for a horse to focus quickly at close range. Blurred vision triggers the flee instinct, which results in STRESS. Stress can compromise the training program and potentially lead to injury.
Using a flag as the “target” has been popular in nearly all forms of horse training for many years. However, the flag presents two problems: stability and image consistency. In windy conditions, the flag can flutter resulting in an audible and visual disturbance. In addition, the flag image changes as the horse moves away from front and center. As the flag moves, the horse is forced to transition from one eye to the other. During this transition, the flag image has changed because the horse is now looking at the edge of the flag. This all creates stress.
The “Eye-Ball” provides an amazingly stability, consistent 3d image, for a reduction in stress with improved trainability.
Each Ball is black with a wide white stripe around the center making it easy for the nocturnal eye to acquire.
The “Eye-Ball” can be used with any new or existing Pro Cutter Training System. Available individually or in complete kit form.
Ball – $129.00 Use existing kevlar cable, slide tubes and return pulley
Ball Package – $329.00 Includes ball, kevlar cable, slide tubes and single-arm cable tensioner