Troth
New User
Hi
Two years ago my horse Copper, then aged 22, got uveitis (recurrent equine uveitis) in her right eye. We treated it with drops; she then went to the Royal Vet College for assessment and further treatment via a lavage system to deliver drugs to her eye. Despite best efforts and some initial improvement, the eye deteriorated and she went to Bourton Vale Equine hospital for enucleation.
I was totally shocked at all this, being a new horse owner who'd never heard of uveitis. However, the operation went well and I visited Copper a couple days after when really all she cared about was being allowed out for a little grazing! Despite the bruised eye socket, and generally beaten up look of her beautiful face, she was definitely pretty much her normal self. She came home shortly after that and was only on antibiotics.
She soon adjusted to finding her way around and seems just the same to ride. In fact a friend who had not ridden her before the op said she would never have known Copper only had one eye, riding-wise. She has always been a brave horse, forward going and excellent in traffic etc, and that has continued. It's us owners who seem to suffer, imo!
Everything said above about being sure to let the horse know you are there on the blind side, being aware when you turn her and so on is true. I couldn't believe she would cope with the operation, GA and readjusting to life as she has done. Amazing!
She featured in Horse & Rider's issue on sight in December 2007 - with a photo of her after the op, happily grazing.
Two years ago my horse Copper, then aged 22, got uveitis (recurrent equine uveitis) in her right eye. We treated it with drops; she then went to the Royal Vet College for assessment and further treatment via a lavage system to deliver drugs to her eye. Despite best efforts and some initial improvement, the eye deteriorated and she went to Bourton Vale Equine hospital for enucleation.
I was totally shocked at all this, being a new horse owner who'd never heard of uveitis. However, the operation went well and I visited Copper a couple days after when really all she cared about was being allowed out for a little grazing! Despite the bruised eye socket, and generally beaten up look of her beautiful face, she was definitely pretty much her normal self. She came home shortly after that and was only on antibiotics.
She soon adjusted to finding her way around and seems just the same to ride. In fact a friend who had not ridden her before the op said she would never have known Copper only had one eye, riding-wise. She has always been a brave horse, forward going and excellent in traffic etc, and that has continued. It's us owners who seem to suffer, imo!
Everything said above about being sure to let the horse know you are there on the blind side, being aware when you turn her and so on is true. I couldn't believe she would cope with the operation, GA and readjusting to life as she has done. Amazing!
She featured in Horse & Rider's issue on sight in December 2007 - with a photo of her after the op, happily grazing.
