People who need glasses...

Firewell

Firewell

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Do you compete wearing your glasses?

I was told at a recent eye check that I should really be wearing glasses all the time now. We talked about contact lenses as I thought they would be better to wear around the horses, riding and when I go out (too vain to wear glasses out!!).
However my optecian said that dust from horses could irritate my eyes with contact lenses... She then said I don't produce tears very well (typical when I cry ALL the time) and that as I have dry eyes I will be more prone to this irritation even with moist contact lenses in..

So I'm not sure what to do.. Prescription eye glasses are really expensive, mine were £300 and although I'm happy to wear them up at the yard its easy for them to get dirty and banged. I'm worried if I fall of competing that they will break.

Iv'e tried to continue riding without my glasses but I cant really see that well!! Its ok for schooling but not really for hacking or jumping. I jumped this morning without and the fences are blurry but I can see where they are obviously. However at shows is pretty impossible as I cant see the numbers walking the course ect. I know this sounds like im making excuses but one of the reasons I got too many TF last season XC is because I couldnt really see where I was going and I kept slowing up to try and see where I should turn ect!!

So do you think I should try contact lenses for riding and shows? What do you think? What do you do if you are a glasses wearer? Or has anyone had laser eye surgery?

I was thinking about laser eye surgery but apparently it doesn't last forever and i'm a bit nervous it may go wrong...

Thanks
 
I need glasses for distance, but tend not to bother when riding. My prescription is something like -1.25 and -1.75. But why not buy a much cheaper pair of glasses for wearing around the horses? I too spent a fortune on my normal ones, but I still have my old pair in the landrover for driving it (other pair live in my car). Recently they fell on the floor and I stood on them getting in. Just bent them back into shape and off I go!

Other thing is to maybe test out contacts to wear just for say jumping? I am about to go skiing and not going to be able to wear my glasses (unless it's sunny as I have prescription sunglasses) but will just have to cope.

Depends what your prescription is really though, and how much you can just get by?

ETS - sorry didn't really read your post very well! I'd def ask for trial contacts, maybe disposables for as you say jumping and shows. You can also get glasses that are flexible. Or can wear riding goggles over contacts?
 
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I think you need to take what the optician says with a pinch of salt. I am willing to be she is totally non horsey !

I am really mega short sighted. -8 and -9. I wear glasses which would be like milk bottles if I did not pay for thin lenses. I am not sure you need to spend £300 these days, but it's down to personal choice. SpecSavers really are cheap.

I wear daily disposable contact lenses. Each day I pop a clean, fresh pair in and at night I throw them away. These days they only cost £15/month. The only time I ever feel any irritation is when I clip and maybe if we are hay-making. Other than that - its really not an issue.

Wearing glasses when you ride, they get steamed up and dirty and when you rub the dirt off, you can scratch them.

I suggest you get a month's trial of daily disposable lenses. I bet you love them !
 
Ah, the glasses dilemma. I am v shortsighted and have to wear glasses or contacts. My eyes, like yours, do not produce tears very well and I find contacts v unconfortable if I wear them for long periods.

I ride before work and my eyes won't accept contacts first thing, so I use my glasses. I can't shower in them either, as they stick to my eyeballs if I do, so wearing them to ride before work would mean I would have to take them out when I got to work, to shower.

I then wear contacts to compete, as competing for me is junping. I prefer to jump in contacts, as there's more chance of falling off/smacking face on horse's neck as she falls over in the water. That said, I have jump lessons at home in glasses - I just risk it. When I have fallen off in my glasses, I have, touch wood, not damaged them. I suppose I don't fall off on my face?

Hay and straw do not aggravate my eyes as much as sitting in the office looking at a screen.

I have only once damaged my glasses riding and that was when I tried to take them off from under my riding hat (I was on the horse). I would have been fine, but she zoomed off bucking as I had them half off (which is why I didn't want to take off my hat) and they got mangled.

The main problem is riding in foggy cloudy weather. They fog up and get mist and droplets on them and you can't see. They also steam up when it's cold. Then, you ned to wipe them (which is why I was taking mine off!).
 
I am short sighted and need glasses most of the time but I don't wear them at the yard. I wear contacts when I'm competing and occasionally down the yard but I can jump ok without them but I won't go xc without TBH.
 
I wear contacts all the time (-4.75 prescription) and I have the extra moist ones? Never had any problems with irritation, apart from clipping but think that would be the case anyway!!
 
Try lenses as others have said. You do get dust in them but its still much better than riding in glasses. I used to wear lenses but had mine lasered four years ago and my only regret is not doing it earlier, but they will only do it if your sight has stabilised for some years.
 
Andrew Nicholson wears them and he manages!

Sounds like you and I have the same sort of sight, everything's a blur without them! I use my older glasses for riding and save my new ones that way. Why not get a cheaper pair to ride in? I tried contacts once and passed out, never again, lol!
 
Hi totally agree contacts are brill! if you get daily disposables and you get dry eyes you can use those new optrex closed eye sprays as there is one suitable for contact wearers ,also you can get prescription sports safety glasses (very ugly) also just for you to know if you had laser surgery you arnt allowed near horses or the yard for 6 weeks!! i just wear my regular glasses now and ive only broken one pair in 10 years so not too bad:)
 
Ok thanks :).
One of my eyes is -2 1/2 and the other is -3 I think so not too bad at the moment but they have been steadily getting worse over the past 5 years so maybe I wouldnt be able to get them lasered yet then...
Looks like contacts are the way to go, the moist daily ones. I'm a bit scared about having something touch my eyeball but i'm ok putting in drops so I suppose I should just man up :p.
 
Hi, i wear glasses, blind as a bat without them, can't even read a motorway sign :eek:
I do everything in my glasses without any major problems and have never broken any, touch wood ;)

I do use daily disposables for when it's really, really chucking it down and glasses are not practical. A handy hint is to have some eye drops with you, it makes it easier if they've dried up when taking them out (need to check it's OK for use with lenses though, I just use the cheaper own brand ones and they seem fine)

I do think £300 is on the top side for a pair of glasses though, I got 2 pairs from Specsavers (both are names so not the cheaper end) for just over £100 on the BOGOF deal last year, so I would definitely shop around

Contact lenses aren't for everyone but I would definitely give it a go :D
 
i havent read all of the above so apologies if this has already been suggested.
can you use daily disposable lenses?
that's what I did when i got tired of wearing my glasses. I wore than pretty much every day and rode in them too.
dust wasn't really an issue although I wore sunglasses if there was a shamal (lived in dubai).

I had LASIK last year and it was the best thing I've ever done :)
 
Thanks :).
The frames of my glasses were not that expensive, they were the only ones I liked and luckily they were the own brand ones! However I have the non reflective ultra thin lenses, I figured if I was going to have to wear them all the time I would get the best. I got mine from Vision express, they seemed pretty good :). They said to go back for the contacts once I had gotten used to my new galsses :).
 
Get your optician to give you a free trial of daily disposable contact lenses then when you have them they will have the prescription on the individual eye packs - you can then order them online for a fraction of the cost.

I go for months witout wearing my lenses but them put them in for skiing and occasionally for riding - they have never irritated my eyes - just make sure you take them out before you go to bed.

Same with glasses prescription - mine cost around £25 on the internet - got prescription from optician and bought them online - broke them on first day but dont care as so cheap.

I use getlenses.com
 
I too an a contact wearer (-7 range), so milky bottom glasses are not an option. Have worn them for 30 yrs + around the horses and never had a problem. Occasionally when clipping you get a hair in your eye, but you would do that without glasses too!

At home I use monthlies, and when I'm aaway I use dailies.
 
I would go for the daily contacts and have a free trail from your optician first.

I too wear glasses most of the time, but never round the horses, or for riding in. About 18 months ago I confronted my eye phobia and asked the optician for contacts to wear when competing/going out at night etc. My perscription is -2.25 and I have the 1 day Acuvue Moist which were only ones suitable for shape of my eyes (astigmatism?). I probably only wear one pair a week, but they are great for competing in. As I said I do have this thing about eyes and did have a few panic attacks when first putting them in, but I soon got over this and the benefits are much better. I have dry eyes as well and find my eyes do get irritated if I have them in for 8 hours + but all in all glad I opted to get them rather than not seeing or wearing glasses when riding :)
 
I'm -2.5 in both eyes and I have only worn glasses for riding in twice. I wear contact lenses. Like you I have dry eyes and I found daily disposables a bit difficult (I believe they are lower quality as you throw them away), but I moved to monthly disposables, and have never looked back. I have never had problems with dust at the stables; the only time I get sore eyes is when I'm concentrating at work, staring at the PC and I forget to blink.

I'd say go for the best quality monthlies you can afford (Mine are £13/month only from Specsavers and they're called their "elite" range, and don't use their cleaning fluid but again get a better quality one (I use the Amo easy rub - available in Boots, Sainsburys etc). I think you'll probably be fine. It's got to be worth a try! The thought of getting knocked in the face, as horses often cause, with glasses on, just doesn't bear thinking about!
 
Britestar said:
I too an a contact wearer (-7 range), so milky bottom glasses are not an option. Have worn them for 30 yrs + around the horses and never had a problem. Occasionally when clipping you get a hair in your eye, but you would do that without glasses too!
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This too, never ever wear my glasses around horses. I think in about 25 years of wearing glasses I've ridden twice in them. Whoever, invented daily contacts should be knighted.:D

I would ask for a trial and see how you get on as maybe your optician is slightly OTT as I got told I should never swim in mine and should get prescription goggles but have not found any issue swimming with them in either.
 
I'm v long sighted (+11) and contacts arnt an option, and neither is going without- as a kid I tried for mounted games as they kept steaming up but then couldn't see the bending poles without :o
I've only ever broken a couple of pairs, (once falling off pony, when I also badly broke arm, and once cycling off a cliff where again I was pretty smashed up) and I often even sleep in them :o I get the edges of the lenses rounded off as as a child I had a few nasty accidents with the lenses cutting my face. My glasses do get pretty scratched but very lightly. As I got a free pair on the NHS every 6 months or so until I was 18 and still get a voucher big enough to cover most of the cost I have quite a collection and wouldn't consider doing anything without a pair on!
 
I am very blind - glasses all the time otherwise everything is very very blurry. I wear contacts for riding, monthly disposable. I cant wear them for work as make may eyes so dry with looking at computer screen etc all day but never had a problem with riding even in dusy school etc. Give them a try and see how you go.
 
Also, none of my glasses are atall 'sporty'- most have big sides and none are bendy and still I don't have an issue, or even notice!
 
I suggest you buy some cheap glasses. There are plenty of reliable websites selling suitable frames and lenses for under £40. You just need to type in your prescription and measurements. You might prefer something more expensive from the optician for every day wear.

Having worn glasses for more than 30 years and having had a few bashed about for one reason or another, cheap glasses have been a godsend. There's nothing worse than a horse tossing his head, catching me in the face and bending my frames or knocking them off onto the floor. Discreet wally-strings tucked under your hair and hat are also worth their weight in gold for the same reason.
 
:eek: Rara I am a +6.5 in one eye (+4.75 in the other) and I'm the blindest person I've met :eek:

I wear contacts for competing, too vain not too - but don't wear them for day to day riding stuff. My sister's pony broke the last pair of my glasses by bashing me across the face, but thats the only pair in 20 odd years that have been broken by a horse.

Only thing I would make sure if they are different strengths, don't ride hungover, get your contacts mixed up and then get confused when you cannot focus on any related distance - bless my little horse :D
 
I wear contact lenses and have hOrses I have never had a problem and to be honest I haven't ridden in my glasses for years as I find I get motiOn sickness. I will now only ride in contact lenses Iv never had any problem with dust. X
 
Another vote for contact lenses. I have the monthly disposable ones that you put in and them leave in for a full month. No taking out at night, no cleaning. They are oxygen permeable lenses and are so comfortable I forget that I have lenses sometimes. Can even swim with them and they don't come out.
 
I am very short sighted (-9) so have to wear my glasses all the time, I struggle to wear contact lenses as my eyes are quite dry, which means I can only wear them for short periods of time. I have a box of disposables which I use now and again, but generally can't be bothered.

I always wear my glasses riding and have never (touch wood) had a problem, I have to have the ultra thin lenses (bottle bottoms otherwise :D) and they're plastic lenses not glass (which wouldn't be safe). My yard/riding glasses are an old pair, just in case and I also keep a pair of disposable contacts or spare glasses in the car because if I damaged my glasses riding I wouldn't be able to drive home!

I think as someone else said the worse thing is if it's raining, but I find the peak of my hat keeps the worst off.
 
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