Blinded in one eye in stable

[Illusion100]

I was told a horse had blinded itself in one eye in its stable.

However the issue was coincidentally picked up by a vet when called out for a different issue.

I'm not quite understanding the logic.

Surely the eye would have had trauma signs of caused by a stable accident?

The owner was unaware the horse was blind in one eye before the vet informed them.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[Lois Lame]

How did the vet know that the horse wasn't blind in one eye already? I can understand that the owner might not have known...

Doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me either.

 

[Lois Lame]

My own post doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me.

I would ask the owner more questions. Perhaps the horse had been blind in one eye for a very long time.

 

[Illusion100]

How did the vet know that the horse wasn't blind in one eye already? I can understand that the owner might not have known...

Doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me either.

It is very odd story.

The vet noticed a lack of visual stimulation to one eye while visiting the horse for a different issue.

I do not know what the diagnosis was

But the owner told me the horse blinded itself in stable. Which also doesn't make sense.

 

[Ambers Echo]

An eye issue in Toby was picked up by a vet who was there to do his teeth. So I can easily see how a vet notices something while there for another reason. Though it sounds more likely to be a disease process gradually leading to blindness than a traumatic injury.

 

[SEL]

I supervised a vetting of an ex polo pony who the vet confirmed was blind in one eye. I'd ridden the pony for weeks and had no idea. Apparently pretty common on the side of the mallet - so I guess that was probably trauma related.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I don't think there is any way for the owner to claim that the horse blinded itself in the stable and that the blindness isn't the result of something much earlier or something gradual as others have said. A vet noticed a cyst in my mare's eye when coming to do her teeth - can't believe I had never seen it myself but it's surprisingly hard to spot unless the light is right, so the vet saw it as he had a head torch for the dental works. She isn't fully blind that side by does have a blind spot where the cyst is.

Additionally we had the vet out recently to look at some sarcoids on our Appaloosa and he has previously suffered from uveitis (well managed now). We changed vets and it was the first visit from this practice and the vet said our Appy has cataracts (which we didn't know)... apparently it is common in horses who have had uveitis in the past.

All in all I can totally understand how partial blindness can go unnoticed but I don't agree that the owner can be sure it somehow happened in the stable.

 

[Illusion100]

I don't think there is any way for the owner to claim that the horse blinded itself in the stable and that the blindness isn't the result of something much earlier or something gradual as others have said. A vet noticed a cyst in my mare's eye when coming to do her teeth - can't believe I had never seen it myself but it's surprisingly hard to spot unless the light is right, so the vet saw it as he had a head torch for the dental works. She isn't fully blind that side by does have a blind spot where the cyst is.

Additionally we had the vet out recently to look at some sarcoids on our Appaloosa and he has previously suffered from uveitis (well managed now). We changed vets and it was the first visit from this practice and the vet said our Appy has cataracts (which we didn't know)... apparently it is common in horses who have had uveitis in the past.

All in all I can totally understand how partial blindness can go unnoticed but I don't agree that the owner can be sure it somehow happened in the stable.

You see this is it, either the eye suffered a trauma and despite treatment, blindness was the end result, or they simply didn't notice the horse was blind.

Considering it was the vet who picked up on the blindness while visiting for another issue, it seems like the "blinded itself in stable" story is a cover up to save face that they just didn't realise their horse was blind in one eye.

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s easy to miss a horse being almost blind some adjust very very well .
I had a almost blind brood mare you would never know unless she had a very small foal at foot .

 

[Shilasdair]

I used to work at a yard that had an ex-SJ pony who was completely blind.
We used to turn him out, catch him in, everything like a sighted horse.
Working pupils would ask why he wasn't ridden...horses hide blindness really well.

 

[Illusion100]

It’s easy to miss a horse being almost blind some adjust very very well .
I had a almost blind brood mare you would never know unless she had a very small foal at foot .

It's honestly not the fact the horse is blind in one eye, or that the owner didn't notice.

It was the fact the owner stated her horse was blinded in a stable, to justify another injury to another horse that was unlikely to be done by that horse in a stable.

I suppose it follows on from my tail plait thread in which the same person claimed tail plaits are incredibly dangerous.

 

[Lois Lame]

Yes, I'd take this owner with a grain of salt.

I know nothing about the possibility of tail plaits being dangerous (uncomfortable, yes) but I don't believe her story of the blindness happening in the stable.