who wears glasses to ride?

It is a pain particularly in the rain (what a poet). Have worn glasses for so long it is unfortunately second nature.
 
Please don't ride with glasses on unless you absolutely have to. I nearly lost some of the sight in my left eye because of a nasty accident while wearing glasses. Thankfully it came back after a few weeks but I got a very stern talking to from the hospital and I would never do it again.

I can't wear contacts either but i'm just used to not having perfect vision when i ride. I know where the dressage markers are and i can see the shape of the jumps, just not the finer details. As long as your horse can see where they are going I reckon thats what matters.
 
absolute diva said:
Please don't ride with glasses on unless you absolutely have to. I nearly lost some of the sight in my left eye because of a nasty accident while wearing glasses. Thankfully it came back after a few weeks but I got a very stern talking to from the hospital and I would never do it again.

I can't wear contacts either but i'm just used to not having perfect vision when i ride. I know where the dressage markers are and i can see the shape of the jumps, just not the finer details. As long as your horse can see where they are going I reckon thats what matters.
Click to expand...

Erk! What happened and what did the hosp say? I ride in them. If I rode with nothing in/on, I wouldn't be able to see my horse's ears. Minus 8.5! Hum, you've made me think now.
 
I do!!! :D

Yes, they are a pain if its raining - what a good excuse to be a fairweather rider ;)
Other than that I find them ok, but have bent them a few times! the solution to that being not to fall off..... :o
 
absolute diva said:
Please don't ride with glasses on unless you absolutely have to. I nearly lost some of the sight in my left eye because of a nasty accident while wearing glasses. Thankfully it came back after a few weeks but I got a very stern talking to from the hospital and I would never do it again.

I can't wear contacts either but i'm just used to not having perfect vision when i ride. I know where the dressage markers are and i can see the shape of the jumps, just not the finer details. As long as your horse can see where they are going I reckon thats what matters.
Click to expand...

Well I ride racehorses and have consulted for a long time with my optician about the safer options. I am really short sighted and find riding without glassed affects my balance which is not safe for my job. So I have half frames for riding in when I am not wearing my contacts. I have had many falls and so far been fine. I have never been told I can't wear them, even when I rode out in Oz they gave me special dispensation for my poor sight so I could wear them.
 
I do. I even BE with them on! I did have to take them off once at a hunter trial due to the serve weather conditions, must say it was very odd. But I wear them all the time so am very used to them... you will get used to them after a while, I hardly notice mine are there anymore. :)
 
HotToTrot said:
Erk! What happened and what did the hosp say? I ride in them. If I rode with nothing in/on, I wouldn't be able to see my horse's ears. Minus 8.5! Hum, you've made me think now.
Click to expand...

I'm nowhere near a minus 8.5 so for me it was an easier decision to make. I can see without them on, just not well. I'm certainly not legal to drive my car without them on.

It was a freak accident really. Sensible 15.1hh cob spooked sideways while cantering in the school at home. I flew off over her right shoulder and managed to hit her knee with my face as I fell. The frame of my glasses bent up inside my eye socket. I couldn't see out of it at all for three days and for a long time after I had no peripheral vision and couldn't move my eye, it looked like I had a glass eye! Hospital said that i was lucky not to have done permanent damage.

I always used to ride in my glasses but I weighed up the pros and cons and decided that it definitely wasn't worth the risk for me. I've adjusted to riding without them on and that was much better than risking permanent damage to my sight.
 
If I didn't wear my glasses for hacking we would probably end up under a car. It would be seriously unsafe for me to ride on the roads without them. Also, I like to see the spooky things ahead that might upset madam!
 
I have to wear glasses when riding because without them I'm blind as a bat. They are a pain. They mist up when I'm hot and get covered in droplets when it is raining or snowing. I'd love to have laser surgery to correct my sight but sadly can't afford it.
 
I've tried to get sports/safety prescription glasses as I am blind in one eye and have poor sight in the other, plus I have been advised not to wear contacts. I can't seem to get them on the high st and even the big spec shops don't do them either? If I worked in a factory and had to have them there wouldn't be a problem? As there are plenty of sports out there where a pair would be useful, it seems there is a possibly profitable hole in the market here?
 
ooh thats a scary sounding accident:eek:
:eek:

i am -3 in one eye,and that is astigmatism, think im about -2.5sphere. my other eye is perfect! So yes, i can see without my glasses... but, i get really bad migraines when i dont wear them. When i say bad , i mean losing my speech, confusion and a headache that leaves me in bed for 3 days. I could probably manage without them for 20 mins or so, eg if i did a hunter trail - but for hacking, i think id have to wear them.
 
NeverSayNever said:
ooh thats a scary sounding accident:eek:
:eek:

i am -3 in one eye,and that is astigmatism, think im about -2.5sphere. my other eye is perfect! So yes, i can see without my glasses... but, i get really bad migraines when i dont wear them. When i say bad , i mean losing my speech, confusion and a headache that leaves me in bed for 3 days. I could probably manage without them for 20 mins or so, eg if i did a hunter trail - but for hacking, i think id have to wear them.
Click to expand...

Poor you, that sounds terrible. In your situation I'd definitely take the risk of riding with glasses on, all that happens to me is that i can't see where I'm going!
 
absolute diva said:
I'm nowhere near a minus 8.5 so for me it was an easier decision to make. I can see without them on, just not well. I'm certainly not legal to drive my car without them on.
Click to expand...

Interested to know if you ride on the roads?

I mostly wear my contacts to ride in, but i wouldn't put them in specially to ride if I had been wearing my glasses all day. My best riding buddy managed to smash her knee cap to pieces dismounting her horse in our field - a freak accident, but it doesn't stop me getting off mine in the same way that someone else's freak accident falling off wearing glasses (horrific though it sounds) would stop me wearing them.
 
Wobblywibble said:
Interested to know if you ride on the roads?

I mostly wear my contacts to ride in, but i wouldn't put them in specially to ride if I had been wearing my glasses all day. My best riding buddy managed to smash her knee cap to pieces dismounting her horse in our field - a freak accident, but it doesn't stop me getting off mine in the same way that someone else's freak accident falling off wearing glasses (horrific though it sounds) would stop me wearing them.
Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts on it all - given that work makes me wear a body protector and proper hats and we are travelling at speeds that most people don't even come near on their own horses, I would much rather have my sight and balance than not!
 
I ride in glasses every day. Am totally completely blind without them and can only wear contacts a few times a week. I've never had an issue riding in glasses. I wear contacts when I compete, but only because I'm vain.

Andrew Nicholson does all his xc and sj in glasses and has done so for a few years, and looks bloody sexy doing so ;). this makes me feel better!
 
am -3 in one eye,and that is astigmatism, think im about -2.5sphere. my other eye is perfect! So yes, i can see without my glasses... but, i get really bad migraines when i dont wear them
Click to expand...

similar situation....-4.5 / astgmatism in my right eye, -.25 in my left..... Complete with the migraines. So I can see to ride, but I struggle with the letters in a dressage arena. I wear one contact lens, but wear driving glasses at the weekend.

I refuse to wear my glasses riding though. Terrified of the sort of accident happening which happened to an earlier poster.
 
My eyesight is pretty awful, minus 6 or so, I can't see a thing without them. I've never tried contact lenses as I just can't imagine me without glasses, it's odd, but they're part of me. Riding in the rain isn't so bad, galloping with friends results in mud splatters and they do slip down my nose when schooling (look up!).
 
I ride in mine - the opticians laugh when I go in for a pair, they're the ones looking for the 'good to ride in ones' :D

I'd like to wear contact lenses, but I get up so early my eyes aren't up to it :( (I'm not sure they're even open half the time lol.

AD - sounds a horrible accident and understand your concern. Hugs hun.
 
absolute diva said:
Please don't ride with glasses on unless you absolutely have to. I nearly lost some of the sight in my left eye because of a nasty accident while wearing glasses. Thankfully it came back after a few weeks but I got a very stern talking to from the hospital and I would never do it again.

I can't wear contacts either but i'm just used to not having perfect vision when i ride. I know where the dressage markers are and i can see the shape of the jumps, just not the finer details. As long as your horse can see where they are going I reckon thats what matters.
Click to expand...

I can't even see dressage markers or distances into jumps without my glasses and it would be downright dangerous for me to ride without them on the roads out hacking (again I have to wear glasses to drive)... don't like contacts so I always wear glasses when I ride.
 
Last edited:
I never wear my glasses to ride - hate it hate it hate it. I wear half frames and have a tendancy to look over them (not that I can see much when I do!).

If I wear my glasses ot work, I will take my contacts with me to pop in before I go to the yard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top