Cataracts

[maxapple]

When my pony's injections are due in July I am going to get the vet to have a good look at his eyes to see if he might have cataracts.

He has become more spookier than normal in the past year or so, and his reactions to things he spooks at are more 'violent' (i.e. he spins suddenly etc) He has always been highly strung / fizzy (he is a arab x welsh) but the spooking is a relatively new thing and his reaction to things he he scared of is quite strange.

My horse physio mentioned she had an eventer who was very similar who was diagnosed with cataracts.

Just wondered if any one had any experience of this?

 

[Damnation]

No harm in ruling it out.
I know a horse who has rather bad cataracts. He went from being a plod to suddenly being very wary of traffic. Turns out he was pretty much blind in one eye.
I would also go for the full, back, saddle, teeth routine

 

[ellie_e]

No harming in ruling it out. Cataract removal is pretty straight forward these days if it comes to it! Hope you get him sorted!

 

[Spotsrock]

We think L has cateracts. She's 31 so the vet won't risk any kind of anaethetic (sp) but she can see well enough to get about and when other horses are coming so she is quite happy in the field and stable. I have started riding and leading so she is not ridden when we go out as she is more prone to trip and I reckon she can catch herself better without me sat on top!

If anything she has got less spooky though that may be that at 31 she has finally grown up!! Not sure as it is a relatively new thing we noticed and as she is coping, like you we are waiting for the vets scheduled visit in a month or so. She has little oval sort of smudges in her eyes, back lady and Sharer agree she looks a bit more dependant on her ears and nose too.

 

[Quartz]

My horse has a big cataract on one eye. He is pretty much blind in that eye, so spooks easier on that side. However, with all things considered he is not an overly spooky horse. He is only 7 so my only worry is that he would get one on his other eye, in which case we would operate. Other than that I would leave his cataract alone he does not seem to bothered by it, but has prbably had it from a very early age (he had it already when I got him at 5).