Wall eyes? Opinions wanted!

danielle23

danielle23

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 January 2009
Messages
131
Location
North Yorkshire
Visit site
Im sending my mare to a lovely coloured stallion, he has wall eyes, which to me is not a problem as i quite like them, but my father in-law (old fashioned yorkshire farmer/huntsman) believes that it is a defect for a horse to have and drasticly decreases the price of a horse!!
I am led to believe it just eye colour and personal preference and cannot see why it would effect the price of a horse? He really annoys me with his highly old fashioned opinionated comments and seems to think every thing he knows and practices is right and all else is not worth bothering with!
Very yorkshire and very stuborn i say, lol
Opinions please?
smile.gif
 
I like them. My gypsy cob yearling Harry has a wall eye. I love how kind his brown eye is on his right side and then looking at him from the other side and he looks so cheeky
grin.gif


Wonka didn't have wall eyes, he was a little part bred welsh (more section b) and was jet black with a weird shaped white blaze and both his eyes were bright blue. He was such a head turner, I had comments on him all the time as to how good looking he is. He is now out showing with his new home and becoming very good at it
grin.gif
 
Personally, I dont like them but it doesn't bother me and certainley would not stop me buying a horse if everything else fits the bill.
I believe it is a myth and an old fashioned view of your father in law.
 
I don't like them tbh but if I got to know the horse ie its on the same yard and fitted everything else it wouldn't put me off although I wouldn't go out my way to see an advertised horse with wall eyes.


Having seen that piccie above his eyes really suit him and he looks smashing.
 
Depends what you class as a wall eye. I've heard two definitions- a wall eye is where the eyeball is too big for the socket so it constantly gives the horse a 'scared' look, and the colour can be either brown or blue. I think they look a bit freaky! The term I always thought it was, was a blue eye.... My boy has 1 blue eye and 1 half blue half brown eye and I think they're lovely! Especially on a darker face.
 
No problem for me, our clydie mare has a little blue in her eyes and people comment on what beautiful eyes she has and how they are unusual and really make her stand out.

In coloured classes they are never marked down. Some judges in other classes can be fussy - but then if it is not blue eyes, then some have other things they don't like.

A breeder I know who exports gypsy cobs round the world says that the Aussies tend to not want blue eyes as they think they are not as strong in the climate they have - very hot and strong sunlight and may be inclined to have problems.

Finally as others have said, you may not get blue eyes in the foal so if the stallion is what you want, then use him.
 
It wouldn't make any difference at all to me, I don't find them all that attractive but, if, at the end of the day the horse does the job then it is irrelevant as far as I am concerned. I think the old fashioned view is often connected to blue eyes supposedly being a sign of 'common' (cob/gypsy pony) breeding, not being derogatory. Chunky and fluffy (better term than common?) is popular here, decent Vanners are regularly advertised for upwards of $10,000, the eye colour doesn't matter.

With the current trend for coloured horses I can't see that it would lower the price at all if the horse was right. It would be something mentioned in the sales blurb and if people violently disliked blue eyes then they wouldn't view, just as I don't want another chestnut so simply won't view them.

I have two blue eyed paints, the APHA has a white face, pink skin and pale, pale, 'away with the fairies' type eyes very common, even desirable, in her Registry it certainly wouldn't affect her re-sale value in the slightest. She IS prone to sunburn but that is all to do with the pinkness and not the blue eyes (factor 50 and a visor helps). The mini pony has one completely very bright blue eye, and a half blue eye on a black face.
 
My gypsy cob has wall eye and I think its adds to his beauty, right eye is on his white patch so doesnt look 'evil' (not how i would describe it) his left eye is on a brown patch but is only half blue so doesnt look bad.
If you dont mind the possibiltie of a foal havining blue eyes I would nt worry to much, its not a definate and will add character.
 
Lots of coloureds have wall eyes, so if the foal gets the sire's colouring then it is more likely to get the eye colouring too.
It's one of the things that puts my OH off having a paint horse (they're in the breed standard for a paint so definitely not considered a defect), so I understand your dilemma cos I really like them.
 
I dont like them, sorry....find em a bit freaky BUT that is just my own personal opinion.....

It would put me off buying a horse, I have to say....daft as that may be, I just wouldn't.......... I am possibly as equally stubborn and awkward as your F-i-L, but then I am a Yorkshire lass!!!

But, for every person like me, there are plenty who either don't mind them or do really like them...so I cant say it would affect price at all.....
 
My first pony had two wall eyes and i just thort it added to her cheekyness! it certainly wouldnt put me off buying a horse, i think they just add to their character! x
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lots of coloureds have wall eyes, so if the foal gets the sire's colouring then it is more likely to get the eye colouring too.
It's one of the things that puts my OH off having a paint horse (they're in the breed standard for a paint so definitely not considered a defect), so I understand your dilemma cos I really like them.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can have a registered APHA without blue eyes, they don't all have them, I have an old sorrel overo APHA gelding here at the moment, minimal white (like two spots on his belly) and he has regular coloured eyes. I think it depends on the coat pattern you choose too, Overos and Toveros are much more likely to have blue eyes than Tobianos.

All is not lost!
smile.gif


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Paint_Horse
 
personally i don't like them and would rather have a horse without them than with (fwiw i love coloured horses but prefer brown eyes!).

and i do think it can affect value as some people don't like them which then decreases your market share of buyers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top