If Archie was to lose his eye ...

Archiesmummy

Archiesmummy

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... what might I expect? Has anyone pictures? Could he still keep his eye lids and lashes?

Are there such things as false eyes for horses?

So many thoughts are going around my head.

I have spoken to Liphook today. He is comfortable and well in himself. I asked for him to be walked out as I couldn't get there today and am worried the standing around in his stable will do him no good at all.

His treatment is limited by my insurance. If I had a bottomless pot of money he would be treated and treated and everything done to save his eye. Because I have a £3k limited there is only so much they can try before removal. Its times like this I wish I was a millionaire. To lose an eye because of cost is a horrible thought and my fault. It is something I just never, ever invisaged.

I am going to up my insurance cover definitely after this episode.
 
My friends horse lost her eye last year she was newly backed and only 5 yrs old then.She has adjusted really well she has just started dressage and doing small xc courses. She has too work harder on one rein than the other as she naturally bends too use her good side.She is also 100 % on roads as she trusts her rider.
Her eye has been stitched and you would hardly notice.One of the girls on yard took months before she even realised it was missing.You will have more issues with it than him horses arent vain like us lol
:D
 
We had a one eyed horse who had no problem. My friend scurried a pony with one eye very successfully including hoys. Our dog also lost his eye and has never had any issues at all. They cope remarkably well. All i have known have just had a socket. Not pleasant to look at initially but much better when skin and hair grow. as someone else said, we normally have many more problems than the horse!
 
Archiesmummy, here's what happens.

When he comes out of the GA he will look like Frankenstein because he will have a big pressure pad stitched over the wound with big black stitches. Don't collapse in horror. This is just to keep the swelling down in the wound area. This pressure pad will come off after a day or two. Underneath, the eyelids will have been stitched together to form a permanent cover for the empty eye socket. Be warned, there may be some eyelashes left still and when he blinks with his remaining eye, the lids over the missing other eye will blink (a sort of twitch) too. Just ignore it. The wound area will at first be CONVEX ie the curve will swell OUTward. There will be packing inside the stitched together eyelids and this may be removed all at once (Sunny's was) or a little bit at a time. Depends on the horse and the healing rate. The wound will look oozy and awful for a bit but Archie will be fine and happy because the pain of a ravaged cornea must be terrible and he will be pain free. The stitches are dissolving and will drop out after a few weeks. Over time, the wound area under the stitched together eyelids will become CONCAVE ie will sink inwards. The eyelids will still blink, don't get upset by it. Once the wound is concave you have to remember to clean it regularly because it gets grubby and dusty. A warm, squeezed out flannel is ideal. Sunny groans with pleasure when I push the flannel into the socket and gently but firmly twist it round and round. Don't be squeamish about doing it! Don't be tempted to think about a prosthesis (false eye) as my specialist vet said they are for people, not for the horse. They cause endless infections and problems. Just let the wound heal and get used to Archie's new look. He won't care, nor will anyone else who truly loves him. And finally, when he comes home don't let anyone at all, not you, the YO, other liveries, farrier, etc etc EVER pity him or feel sorry for him. Insist that they hug him instead and remember he's still the same Archie!

You will have to be his spare eye for a few weeks til he gets used to the new order of things. If he can't see anything on that side, he'll assume there's nothing there. So you'll have to remove projecting things from his stable, always put his feed bowl AWAY from the wall, always talk to him as you approach and around him and rest a hand on his shoulder so he knows you're there. Get vet, farrier, etc etc etc to do the same. Depending on the side that will be his blind side, take care hacking out as he may need to twist round if some-thing startles him, to look with his remaining eye. This twisting round may put his bum into the traffic or the hedge or another horse so just be aware. After a few weeks, he'll be pretty much the same as he was before! You can still jump him, hack him, dressage, turn out with other horses etc etc. Take care travelling him because he won't know if there's something on his blind side. Sunny swung away from another horse on his seeing side and cracked his eye socket badly on a bit of metal trailer wall on his blind side. So I had a leather eye cover made by a local saddler and harness maker. It fits on his normal head collar and protects the same as a poll guard would.

That's all I can think of for now. Please, please, please PM me if you need more info xxx
 
Despite losing an eye being quite drastic initially, horses adapt amazingly well and can continue on doing what they were doing with 2 eyes. I know 3 that have had eyes removed. First was a pony I used to teach who had to have his eye removed when he was in his early twenties. Continued on being a riding school pony, jumping, xc, shows and still whizzing round with kids on his back till we lost him to old age. Two other liveries have had 1 eyed horses, and they have never had issues except for just being more aware that if your approaching on the blind side, you may make them jump!

When the riding school pony came home from surgery it was odd to look at the wound as it does 'blink' but as the wound healed, it sunk back into the socket and did resemble the odd twitch now and again:o

Don't feel guilty about having the eye removed if it means he is pain free:)
 
BOF had given you a good run down. I've known two horses that competed successfully in affiliated jumping with one eye - I think there is at least one jumping GP - and there are eventers, dressage horses and happy hackers out there doing just fine.

As above, don't be tempted by a false eye. All I've ever heard is they are dificult and uncomfortable for the horse. When the socket heals it is surprisingly unnoticeable.

Depending on what happens, don't do "anything possible" to save the eye if he is in pain. A friend did this and the horse was so obviously distressed by the endless vet visits, medication, and discomfort he became very difficult. She finally gave up and had the eye removed, he was immediately happier and healed up great.

Remember that he is a horse and won't fuss about what was or what might have been. All he wants is an easy, comfortable life. He made need your help and understanding while he adjusts but he's a sensible fellow and he'll be fine. :)
 
My horse had his eye removed last wed and the difference in him is unbelievable!!!! He has his head out of the stable door where as before he was stood at the back of the stable. He drags me around the yard (is on box rest) seems very happy. He must have been in a lot of pain before he had reoccurring uveitis for some time. I would recommend it to anyone. He looks a bit gruesome at the moment but im sure it will heal.
 
I worked for an eventer who had a one eyed horse that competed 3* successfully. He was treated just like any other horse except he LOVED having his eye socket scratched!

Hope it all goes well for Archie. x
 
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