ChestnutTB94
New User
Please bear with me this may be a long one. I have lurked on this forum for 10 years + under another account and I'm really hoping I can get some wisdom here regarding my horse.
I have got a 12 year old Thoroughbred who I have had for just under a year. He's a really sweet, honest type but the one thing I have struggled with him is bouts of very spooky behaviour some day which has to be honest caused me some confidence issues with him as he has had me off a couple of times doing it (when he spooks especially in the arena his default is to spin which caught me off guard the first few times). He hasn't been in much work the last few months due to personal circumstances so I have just started doing stuff with him again.
At a routine appointment yesterday I asked the vet to check his eyes for me and she found an iris cyst in his eye near the pupil. She did explain this can cause spooky behaviour especially in bright sunlight or if the light changes suddenly but said most likely he's had this quite a while and it can be treated by laser however unless it gets bigger she would leave it. On reflection pretty much every time he has had a 'big' spook it seems to be on the same side as the affected eye.
Has anyone had any experience with having one of these cysts removed and seeing an improvement in their horses behaviour? The vet really didn't seem that bothered about it at all, however it's been playing on my mind that I should have it treated. I have pretty much spent the last few months blaming myself for him being anxious, trying to accept that's just how he is or suspecting there was something else going on.
He is actually going into the vets for a different unrelated procedure at the end of the month but I plan to ask them there for further advice. Was really just hoping someone here had some experience with this as it's the first time I've come across this before.
I have got a 12 year old Thoroughbred who I have had for just under a year. He's a really sweet, honest type but the one thing I have struggled with him is bouts of very spooky behaviour some day which has to be honest caused me some confidence issues with him as he has had me off a couple of times doing it (when he spooks especially in the arena his default is to spin which caught me off guard the first few times). He hasn't been in much work the last few months due to personal circumstances so I have just started doing stuff with him again.
At a routine appointment yesterday I asked the vet to check his eyes for me and she found an iris cyst in his eye near the pupil. She did explain this can cause spooky behaviour especially in bright sunlight or if the light changes suddenly but said most likely he's had this quite a while and it can be treated by laser however unless it gets bigger she would leave it. On reflection pretty much every time he has had a 'big' spook it seems to be on the same side as the affected eye.
Has anyone had any experience with having one of these cysts removed and seeing an improvement in their horses behaviour? The vet really didn't seem that bothered about it at all, however it's been playing on my mind that I should have it treated. I have pretty much spent the last few months blaming myself for him being anxious, trying to accept that's just how he is or suspecting there was something else going on.
He is actually going into the vets for a different unrelated procedure at the end of the month but I plan to ask them there for further advice. Was really just hoping someone here had some experience with this as it's the first time I've come across this before.
but I expect she had other issues as well.