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Post by diamondgirl on Aug 25, 2014 18:55:47 GMT
I have asked my vet a couple times if something could be wrong with Diamonds vision. She will often walk, or even trot and lope with her nose only a few inches from the ground. When she encounters something new, or different she seems to look at it closer than the other horses do. She will also seem, to not see an object, until we get really close then, suddenly look at really hard, and spook until she figures out what it is.
My vet checked her vision by batting toward each eye with his hand, then moving his hands around she see if she would follow it with her eyes. She did just fine. I am not saying she can't see, but I am wondering if she could have vision problems. I mean lots of people have to wear glasses, and I imagine if people can have vision problems, horses can too. I am certainly not considering getting her glasses. I was just wondering if anyone thought maybe horses could be near of far sighted? |
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749 
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Post by mistersmom on Aug 25, 2014 19:04:26 GMT
Sounds to me like she is definitely having some kind of vision problems. Now whether that is just a small problem or the start of some blindness, who knows. If she sees things fine close up, the vet batting at her eyes is not going to show the problem. But then how do you get a horse to read an eye chart to figure things out?
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Post by diamondgirl on Aug 25, 2014 22:33:08 GMT
Sounds to me like she is definitely having some kind of vision problems. Now whether that is just a small problem or the start of some blindness, who knows. If she sees things fine close up, the vet batting at her eyes is not going to show the problem. But then how do you get a horse to read an eye chart to figure things out? I know,  how do you get a horse to read an eye chart? Maybe different types of hay? I have found as long as I am paying attention to anything that might look a little different, and then try to introduce it to her, before she gets to close and it surprises her, that we do better. I just wanted to know if anyone else thought maybe a horse could be near or far sighted. I also have to be careful with slopes. If I stop her at the top of a down hill slope she will look it over then proceed down without much problem, but if I don't, she just steps off like she doesn't realize the ground has dropped away and will stumble.
What prompted me to ask was, last night the horses got into the garage. They seem to like to poop in there.  When I went to run them out, Diamond grabbed the tow strap off the wall and began trotting off. When the strap hit the floor she got spooked, and ran. We have the ground built up around the house, and the garage because of flooding. Anyway she slipped a little on the concrete, then ran off the edge of the slope, fell down and rolled down the slope. I started to run toward her, but she got up still holding the end of the tow strap in her mouth, she continued to run away from it for while. At least there were no more slopes to fall off of, and she finally did drop the strap and stop so I could check her out. She is fine, and if she wouldn't have taken that fall, seeing her try to run away, from something she was holding in her own mouth, would have been really funny. Silly girl.
She has had this problem the whole time I have had her. She hasn't gotten any better or any worse. I still think she sees things, just not clearly.
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Aug 26, 2014 3:57:41 GMT
If only they could tell us things (or read an eye chart!) 
The entire time I've owned Sis I've felt that she had some vision problems. I had my vet check her (my vet did the same tests yours did) and I was told that she could see. I agree, she can see, but I don't think she sees clearly. After you have determined that they can see, I think about the only thing we can do is just guesstimate as best we can what we think their vision problem is, and try to compensate for it as best we can, if that makes any sense. For example, with Sis it seems like she can see better out of one eye than the other, so if I'm approaching her face on the "bad" side, I try to talk to her more to let her know exactly where I am, and I try not to make sudden moves towards that side of her face, as that's what tends to frighten her. She also seems to need to look at things a little longer and a little more closely on that side, so I just try to give her the time she needs and not rush her on that side.
It had to be pretty frightening for you to have Diamond roll down that slope! I'm so glad she's ok.
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Aug 26, 2014 14:54:16 GMT
I'm sure that was very scary watching Diamond fall down but I had to laugh that she was still carrying the strap and running from it. Sometimes horses can be very silly! Glad she was ok.
Like Terry said, I think the only thing you can do is figure out what works for your horse and stick to that. If stopping at the top of a hill helps her not stumble down, than by all means do it!
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Post by diamondgirl on Aug 27, 2014 15:42:04 GMT
I had a thought. At an eye exam, my Dr. had me hold a patch with a small hole in it, in front of my eye and look through it. To my surprise I could see clearly. I still use that trick. When I wake up at night and want to see what time it is, I put my hand in front of my face and look through a tiny hole between my fingers, to read my alarm, rather than try to find my glasses in the dark.
I wondered if a fly mask would do the same thing. I put on Diamonds' fly mask and tried to watch TV. It didn't help me see any clearer, but no one caught me sitting in the house watching TV wearing a fly mask, so that's a plus. I guess there can be only one small hole. Darn.
You are right MM. Sometimes horses can be so silly. Sometimes they remind me of innocent children, discovering thing about their world. I love the way I can move a bucket from one side of the corral to the other, and it becomes a whole new bucket, that needs to be explored thoroughly.
I remember one day I was out with them, in the dry lot, scooping poop and old hay into a 55 gal. plastic trash barrel. They kept playing with the barrel and the hay and manure fork. They would pick up the barrel, swing it around, then drop it, or run of with the manure fork. Although I was enjoying watching them play, I finally decided, the only way I was ever going to get something done, was to lock them up. I didn't want them to dump the barrel over again so I drug it with me when I went to the barn to get their grain. I just left the barrel sitting right in the middle of the 12 foot gate. There was at least 4 to 5 feet of clearance on either side of it, but those silly horses wouldn't come through the gate. They snorted, and trotted back and forth, but would not go passed that barrel. REALLY?? They had just been picking it up with their teeth, and swinging it around, out in the dry lot, but now it had become something menacing.
I think I do understand the psychology of why they didn't want to go through the more narrow opening, but if was still funnier than anything. |
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Oct 23, 2014 11:42:33 GMT
I just found this Diamond. I'm sorry about your horse's vision. Although they can't read an eye chart a vet could look in their eye. I'm sure you've thought of that.
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Post by diamondgirl on Oct 31, 2014 2:15:29 GMT
He sort of looked in her eyes, but I don't know what he was looking for. Maybe Diamond is just a peanut roller, but she has never been trained to do that. I notice the difference in the way she looks at things, compared to the way the boys look at the same things. It just seems logical to me that if humans, who are an animal, can have vision problems, than horses can too. We just have the advantage of eye charts, and lenses, ophthalmologists.
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Post by horselover4life on Oct 31, 2014 16:51:06 GMT
Why couldn't a horse have vision differences....
Since much has to do with the shape of the eye and cornea...the retina behind the eye...
I think not thinking a horse could be vision impaired would be, well........ 
Usually though a animal that is "lacking" in one area makes up for it in another with superior smell or hearing...
Think about the sentry's wild animals use...the best of the breed with keen sight and smell to protect the rest of the herd...now you wouldn't put the deaf, blind and stuffed up nose one to watch for predators or you would be breakfast, lunch or maybe dinner!!
How to address that....now that is the question.
I do remember Mr. Ed wearing glasses in Wilbur's barn...... I see you
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Post by horselady on Nov 1, 2014 0:59:50 GMT
I say horses do have different degrees of sight , appy and their pigments do have eye problems from day to shade and shade to day. uvitis.
glaucoma and cataracts are also know to affect a horses eye . for a vet to just put his hand over the horses eye and say the horse does not have a problem is not giving that eye a real good exam.
if you feel you need to have her eyes looked at perhaps a specialist could help you . or perhaps a vet college could exam her eyes.
i have a vet coming on monday for a boarders horse and i will ask her.
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how do you get a horse to read an eye chart? Maybe different types of hay? I have found as long as I am paying attention to anything that might look a little different, and then try to introduce it to her, before she gets to close and it surprises her, that we do better. I just wanted to know if anyone else thought maybe a horse could be near or far sighted. I also have to be careful with slopes. If I stop her at the top of a down hill slope she will look it over then proceed down without much problem, but if I don't, she just steps off like she doesn't realize the ground has dropped away and will stumble. 
When I went to run them out, Diamond grabbed the tow strap off the wall and began trotting off. When the strap hit the floor she got spooked, and ran. We have the ground built up around the house, and the garage because of flooding. Anyway she slipped a little on the concrete, then ran off the edge of the slope, fell down and rolled down the slope. I started to run toward her, but she got up still holding the end of the tow strap in her mouth, she continued to run away from it for while. At least there were no more slopes to fall off of, and she finally did drop the strap and stop so I could check her out. She is fine, and if she wouldn't have taken that fall, seeing her try to run away, from something she was holding in her own mouth, would have been really funny. Silly girl.
