Micropthalmia

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Does anyone have any experience of horses with this condition? I am aware of the possibility of enucleation being required but how common is this? Are they especially prone to eye infections etc?

I have a young horse who has this in one eye and I am keen to find out people's experiences of other horses with the condition as I know that it is not uncommon.

Thank you in advance.
 
Gloi said:
My friend had a foal born with this but it was PTS
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One was born here but later pts. The foal appeared normal and healthy but at a few months obviously did not have perfect vision. As it grew, the abnormality became more apparent (abnormally small and sunken eyes) and the decision to pts was the sensible one. Her dam had perfect foals before and after this one.

It is not apparently a genetic problem and the causes are not known. Just "one of those things" and an experiment by Nature that did not work out. I have photos if you are interested, just PM me.

As a sheep farmer, I occasionally had lambs born with this problem, but more serious. It is not uncommon.
 
It seems that mine will be one of the few then if most are PTS. She has no vision in the micropthalmic eye, but perfect vision in the other eye. She has been checked over by opthalmic specialists who see no reason that she will not lead a perfectly normal life and go on to be a very nice ridden horse, with the possibility of the eye requiring enucleation if it bothers her in the future.

I can only find information online of one other adult horse with the condition, who had it in both eyes but the owners decided not to PTS. We would have PTS if both eyes were affected in this one tbh.

My vet seems to think it is possibly caused by some sort of a toxin being ingested by a mare whilst the foal is inuterine and at the point of development where the eyes are forming.
 
That is obviously your choice but as a breeder I believe I have a responsibility to ensure that the stock I rear is 100% healthy. Nobody enjoys making that sort of decision, I just think it is the right thing to do and something all breeders should be aware of and be prepared for. Sorry if that sounds harsh.

As regards the causes of the problem, I don't think anyone knows for sure. Nature is always experimenting and a lot of these experiments wouldn't make it in the world of natural selection without Man's intervention.
 
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