Seeing in the dark?

[Evil_Cookie]

How well can horses see in the dark? Better or worse than us... I'm getting a bit worried about Ruby... She bumps into me and can't find her feed bowl unless I guide her when I go and feed the three of them, the other two seem to cope fine...

EC

 

[claire1976]

Better, unless they are elderly with diminishing eyesight. But it does take them around 20 mins to adjust to sudden changes from dark-light and viceversa.

 

[hollyzippo]

A healthy horse can see amazingly well once adjusted to the dark. I know of eventers who have been known to take neddy steeplechasing down gallops and jumping round in field in pitch black! Apparently gets them to see there stride (due to lack of rider having any vision obviously

!!)
Not advisable tho me thinks!!!
May be worth getting a vet to check your horse's sight.

 

[spooks]

i have very temperamental lights in my horsebox (in fact the horsebox is being very temperamental period at the mo! ) our boy will load himself by the light of a not very good torch and gets off and back into the yard at stupid oclock at night after going out jumping. as holly said may be worth getting the vet to take a look if the horse isnt a golden oldie!

 

[Evil_Cookie]

Thanks for your replies...

She's a tb mare, only 10... She's fine in daylight but just doesn't seem quite right in the dark, after all the vet's fees we've had recently I'm a bit cautious to ring the vet straight away... She's due for her vaccinations in January so will definatly get it looked at then. I suppose I could put her feed in a brighter bowl till then, it's in a black rubber one at the moment. If there is something like cataracts... or a mineral defficency will there be anyway of telling by looking at her eyes?

EC

 

[claire1976]

Eyes will have a cloudy/milky film over them when you look at certain angles if she has cataracts - a bit young for those at 10 though.