Mediated Keratitis and riding

[Ant123]

My horse has been diagnosed with mediated Keratitis and has had 2 flare up in around 2 months requiring antibiotics and optimmune. I do a lot of schooling with him and wondered whether it’s fair to ride him with this chronic illness as his immune system is impaired. ( obviously not during a flare up) Does anyone have experience of managing keratitis in a horse who lives out 24/7 and any advice on management moving foreword would be gratefully received.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Is it both eyes? Or just one? I dont see why not if the horse can see ok, it can cause visual impairment and in some cases like my friend the eye was removed.

 

[Ant123]

It’s in both eyes and his flare ups are really painful.

 

[Barton Bounty]

It’s in both eyes and his flare ups are really painful.

Poor boy. Defo not during a flare up, my friend used goggles to protect the eyes

 

[Ant123]

Thank you. I did ask the vet about goggles but she told me they were mostly for cases of uveitis and luckily he can’t still see well. She did however suggest Bute as a daily support.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thank you. I did ask the vet about goggles but she told me they were mostly for cases of uveitis and luckily he can’t still see well. She did however suggest Bute as a daily support.

They are mostly for uveitis , it would possibly stop any debris going in them when your riding was my thinking

 

[lme]

Are you anywhere near RVC? They were doing work on this. One of our horses was diagnosed with Keratitis over 5 ago and was treated at RVC.. She had cyclosporin implants, which have worked brilliantly and not needed to be repeated. We do have to be very hot on getting any eye infections treated ASAP as the implants suppressed the immune response in her eye. Edited to say she lives out 24 x 7 and wears a normal fly mast with decent UV protection during the day in summer.