Can you get your horse's eyes tested?!

[MrsHutt]

I have joked in the past that H has bad eyesight - he doesn't spook at things I can see (even some quite sudden pheasants, a deer leaping out right in front of us etc), but does spook at sounds (eg the deer landing). And when I get him from the field he comes when I call, but not if I am just walking silently towards him.

Then today, I took him back into his stable (which was quite dark, I'll admit) and he walked into the wall!!! Then when he had his dinner, he could smell it but missed the bucket with his nose (more than once) and found the feed by feel, I'm sure!

He has been a bit 'unsettled' lately - I put it down to the cold, but I am starting to worry now!

Any ideas?

 

[Sparkles]

Yeah, it's a fairly standard thing. Ask your vet to when he's next out

 

[pinklilly]

Yes you can, there was 2 on my old livery yard, one had cataracts and could be ridden but vet advised by owner only as she had pony a long time and the other one was going quite blind and was pts due to unpredictable behaviour. Just get the vet out.

 

[katastrophykat]

Where are you? My pony has eye problems, he goes to Royal Dick vet school to see an opthalmologist who comes in from Lanark- he's been twice now, the first time the students did an obstacle course and all sorts with him... He was there all day! He's spooky, worse at dusk and when going from trees to light and vice versa- I can dig out his vet letters and tell you what he has if that's any help? I still hack out/jump/drive/ride in the dark with him- I just have to be aware that he can be an extra special welsh pony... And those with welsh ponies know how special they can be..!

 

[conkers]

I had my old horses eyes tested when she had her last injection. She had started to become unsettled and stressed when left on her own.

Vet looked into her eyes using a light - similar to when you go to the opticians - and confirmed that she had diminished eyesight in her left eye. Apparently the rods / cones at the back of the eye should reflect back if you shine a light on them and hers didn't.

She was already retired so the only difference is that we make sure she has a good routine and isn't left in alone.

So, yes, it is possible for your horse to have their eyes tested.

 

[MrsHutt]

Thanks all! He is due his jabs any day, so will ask the vet to have a look at him. It would explain things! Do they do horsey specs?

 

[Piaffe63]

Have seen somewhere in the past that if you drop something small (like a feather or a shaving ect.) past your horse's eye, you can test his sight by seeing whether he blinks or not when it floats past. Dont know if that's any help, but I think its quite interesting!

 

[McNally]

I hope he's ok but just to ease your mind a bit if he has for some reason lost some sight, My daughters pony showed the exact same symptoms your is and the vet confirmed she had lost a significant amount of sight in both eyes. I took over her riding myself for a short while and she quickly adjusted to her new life/sight then my daughter carried on as normal!
We did make sure we put her stable the same every night and let her have a look at jumps close up before being cantered into them! I also made sure she went out in the same paddock with the same horses but this was all me being protective, she took it all very well and was fine...good luck x

 

[Bridie&theMinis]

Recently I had been worried about my 22yr old mare's eyesight so called the vet to do an eyetest. The test (on the yard) didn't reveal any cataracts etc, but my vet suspected and recommended getting her tested for Cushings as cushings can enlarge the brain which in turn pushes on the optic nerve and therefore can hamper sight. Cushings was confirmed and she's started treatment which will help (among other things) her sight. Just an example of how it can be improved if there is something wrong.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Yeah the vet can look at the eyes to check sight.
As for glasses I recommend trying Dr Doolittle, he makes a lovely pair, tried and tested!

 

[OFG]

As others have said, ask your vet to check them.

My old boy was the same as yours and I wondered as he also tripped over things easily (uneven ground etc). Vet confirmed loss of sight in both eyes (about the same in both).

That was earlier this year. Have him booked in for a geriatric MOT in January and will get his eyes checked again as think they have deteriorated in just that short space of time

If your vet does confirm sight loss just don't start moving things around (in stable / field). Your horse will adapt fairly well (well, mine seems to) and as long as he knows where things are supposed to be (water, feed etc) he can find them fine.

I still take my boy out on the lanes every couple of weeks for an in-hand walk and he loves it.

 

[fatpiggy]

My old girl can only see to the side with her left eye, not forwards and I'm sure her night vision is now not as good as it could be. She's 28 and has just been diagnosed with mild Cushings so it will be interesting to see if there is any improvement. She also walks into the walls of her stable at night but it has to be said, each time she was half asleep and not really concentrating. I haven't bothered asking the vet to test her, at her age it seems a bit pointless and she manages perfectly well.

 

[babymare]

It was something as simple as my lass throwing her head up when I was putting reins over head - so unlike her and the vet checked her eyes sadly there is a problem with her eyes so def just have them checked for peace of mind x

 

[MrsHutt]

Thanks for all your responses. It seems that I missed the vet - she came to give H his jabs before I went to the yard yesterday!!

I will get her to have a look after I have done my own 'flying feather' test, as suggested!

All of those mentioned above seem to be older horses - H is only 11, so I hope it isn't anything serious. I will 'keep an eye' on him!