Horses can cope remarkably well with vision loss. Stories of blind horses traveling familiar paths at a full canter aren’t just urban legends. This ability to adapt has a downside, however. It can make it difficult to detect changes in your horse’s vision until they are fairly advanced.
4 Simple Ways to Check Your Horse’s Sight
If your horse has uveitis or another condition that may affect his vision, check his eyesight regularly to catch developing problems early. These simple equine vision tests will help you safely assess just how much your horse can see.
- Cover one of your horse’s eyes using a fly mask with a towel placed behind it. Then toss cotton balls or gauze pads into the field of vision of the other eye. Watch to see whether he follows the objects with his uncovered eye.
- Place a garden hose on the ground, and walk your horse over it on a loose lead, then repeat with each eye covered. Most horses can see extremely thin objects and will step over them.
- Walk your horse over dark ground that abruptly changes to a light color, such as where black pavement meets light concrete. Visually impaired horses might be wary of stepping on terrain with sudden color changes.
- Cover one of your horse’s eyes with a fly mask, and wave your hand six inches from the other. Does he react immediately by blinking and/or flinching? Repeat the test on the other side. Do not get your hand too close to the eye, because air currents created by the movement can cause false reactions.
If any of the results from your tests leave you concerned about your horse’s vision, call your veterinarian.
Subtle Signs of Equine Eye Trouble
Ocular problems in horses are not always so obvious. In fact, some serious eye conditions, such as uveitis, might produce subtle signs that are easy to miss.
Any of the following equine eye issues are cause for further investigation:
- Aversion to light. Bright light can be painful for a horse with an inflammatory eye condition such as uveitis. A horse that prefers to stay in the shadows, especially at times of year when he wouldn’t be seeking cooling shade, might be doing so to protect a painful eye.
- Eyelashes that point downward. Equine lashes are typically oriented parallel to the ground or turned slightly upward. If you notice the lashes on one or both of your horse’s eyes point downward, it might be an indication of subtle swelling.
- Yellowing of the iris. Inflammation of the eye can cause the iris—the colored portion of the equine eye surrounding the pupil—to take on a yellowish tinge. Blue eyes suddenly appear green, and brown eyes take on an unusual tan color. Both changes are reason to call your veterinarian for an ocular check.
- Lack of clarity in the pupil. The center of the equine eye is normally pitch-black and clear. A milky appearance can indicate that a cataract is forming as a result of ongoing inflammation.
- A cloudy look to the entire globe. Fungal infections and inflammatory disease can cause a horse’s eye to take on a hazy, bluish appearance. If one eye looks less clear than the other, or if both look more clouded than you recall, it’s cause for investigation.
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This content originally appeared on EquusMagazine.com.
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