Removing an eye

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DoesDressage

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A horse at my yard has had surgery to correct on going issues with one of his eyes. Unfortuanatly this has not worked and the eye has deterieated, with ulcers forming. It is looking more likely that he will have to have this eye removed. He is only young and is on the way to having a good dressage career. Has anyone got or no of any horses with one eye?

Also has anyone seen a implant, after research we have found a silcone implant and a intraorbital implant. It would be great to get some more information if anyone has had any experiences.

Thanks :)
 
We have a pony on our yard that has one eye, had the eye removed after an accident with some fencing a few years ago she manages fine does everything she done before the accident. I think they adjust very quickly it certainly does not hold her back in anyway.
 
I know quite a few horses with one eye, including a couple that jump successfully. In fact removal/total blindness in one eye seems to be much easier for a horse to deal with than deteriorated vision, especially when there is also pain.

The only possible effect that might affect a dressage horse is a tendency to tilt the head but if the trainer is aware I can't see it being an issue. He/she may have to be a bit understanding about accommodating the horse in some areas - one mare I knew could only be stabled in the last stall with her missing eye against the wall because having a horse beside her she couldn't see stressed her out, others needed special care when loading etc. - but there shouldn't be any reason he can't continue with his training.
 
A couple of years ago there was a winning nh mare who only had one eye trained I believe by Sue Smith. After her successes she went to stud so horses with one eye do manage very well in most disciplines.
 
My horse has one eye! The only way it affects him is that he hates going through narrow gaps. He was spooky before he had it removed anyway so it hasn't affected him in that sense. IMO he is less confident jumping but that is more likely to be due to the fact that he has done dressage all his life and his old owner didn't jump him at all. Most one eyed horses seem to prefer the rein that they can see the centre of, if that makes sense.

He has had a very successful dressage career, although at 21 he is now mostly a happy hacker. Three weeks after his operation he won a dressage to music competition. I have no experience of implants however - my boy just has a socket. It's very shocking although I don't notice it at all. Most horses adapt very well - most people forget that they have one eye.
 
My horse had to have an eye removed 6 years ago following a desperate 6 month battle to save it. He came home 5 days after the surgery and within about 3 weeks was happily taking me on hacks, winning local dressage competitions, popping small jumps and generally being just the same as he always was, safest horse on the yard. Your friend will have to be her horse's "spare" eye for a few weeks while he learns that just because he can't see anything on that side of his head, it doesn't mean there's nothing there. he will need help with noises and things appearing apparently instantaneously into his field of vision but they get used to it amazingly quickly. My horse is a happy retired veteran now and has "free range" privileges round the yard where he keeps the grass verges down and generally gets in everyone's way lol. Neither he nor anyone else at the yard ever notices the missing eye any more.

One thing I would say: don't be fooled into thinking a horse needs a prosthesis (false eye). The horse won't care one jot if his eye is missing - all he'll care about is that he's out of pain. It's only PEOPLE that care how the horse looks. I was advised by the expert equine eye surgeon that a prosthesis is nothing but trouble. The horse will get infection after infection and will be far more uncomfortable than if you just leave the whole thing to heal properly. They stitch the eyelid closed over the missing eye and after a while all the swelling subsides and the emptiness under the permanently colsed eyelids sinks gently backwards into a little hairy cave. Tell your friend not to let a single person feel sorry for her horse. He'll be absolutely fine. I learned to ride on an ex-3 day eventer that had evented with one eye after the other was removed following a field accident. PM me if you need more info x
 
If you google "Dressage horse that is blind" you find some interesting bits

http://www.guidehorse.org/news_blind_dressage_horse.htm

I have a horse that is blind in one eye and he has never had a problem.He has no sight in one eye since he was 3 yrs old. He is an Advanced Endurance Horse and has to cope with every kind of going and light levels.

They adept very easily to their surroundings.
 
It is likely with the ulcers etc he is pretty much blind now anyway! Taking his eye out should not make him any different. My friends pony happily jumped on pony club teams etc with an eye missing. At the practice I work out we regularly remove eyes and I've not heard of one after that has had problems, most just show instant relief! We have never fitted a "fake" eye, but I would imagine it would be another route of infection etc.

The only thing to bear in mind is taking care to lead from the good side, warn them of your approach when catching etc and making sure that nothing gallops up his blind side in the warm up arena.
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
One thing I would say: don't be fooled into thinking a horse needs a prosthesis (false eye). The horse won't care one jot if his eye is missing - all he'll care about is that he's out of pain. It's only PEOPLE that care how the horse looks. I was advised by the expert equine eye surgeon that a prosthesis is nothing but trouble. The horse will get infection after infection and will be far more uncomfortable than if you just leave the whole thing to heal properly. They stitch the eyelid closed over the missing eye and after a while all the swelling subsides and the emptiness under the permanently colsed eyelids sinks gently backwards into a little hairy cave. Tell your friend not to let a single person feel sorry for her horse. He'll be absolutely fine. I learned to ride on an ex-3 day eventer that had evented with one eye after the other was removed following a field accident. PM me if you need more info x
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I dont have a horse with one eye but i had to have my own eye removed after an assault. I would agree with Box of frogs on the above. I have a prosethetic eye. its very uncomfortable, gets very dry and gives me no end of discomfort. I have to put drops in it approx every hour and sometimes even this doesnt ease it. However i will put up with this in order to "look normal." As humans are less understanding when it comes to disfigurement for me being uncomfortable is worth it. I wouldnt however put an animal through having a false eye. They dont care what they look like. And a prosthesis wont look real in a horse no matter what they say. Once the eye is removed and healed the horse will have no futher pain but if you have a prosthesis i guarentee it will.
The horse will learn to adapt. I did, topok me a few months but i can more or less do everything i did before, even drive!!!
 
As long as you dont trim his whiskers you will have no problems!!
Briarslands blackberry evented to 3/4star with Only one eye with no probs, I use to ride hunter in ireland with only one eye he was the most amazing horse so clever over banks/drains even jumped electric fence tape on him!!
 
Two ponies at the college yard had only one eye, one was fairly neurotic but was also neurotic before hand with two eyes, other than that fine, the other was a gem, lovely jumper, very forward. A touch one sided in the ring but she hadn't been particularly well schooled so I assume that she would have been much better if better schooled. I looked after a pony half blind in one eye for a bit and he was very twitchy, I don't know but I feel that he would likely have been more relaxed seeing nothing on that side than seeing bits and pieces.
 
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