in the figurative sense, 1849, from horses being fitted with blinders to limit the range of their vision (see blinker).
Entries linking to blinkered
blinker n.
1630s, "one who blinks," agent noun from blink (v.). As a type of horse eye screen to keep the animal looking straight ahead, from 1789 (compare blinder). The slang meaning "the eye" is from 1816. The meaning "intermittent flashing light" is from 1923.