How to Care for Horse Eyes

(February 2, 2010)

The fact that horses have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom makes them very prone to injury and infection. This also makes equine eye care a very important subject for any horse owner. Horses should have their eyes checked on a daily basis in order to note any possible injury or infection. Under normal circumstances, your horse’s eyes will look clear, bright and wide open. You are likely to see a small amount of tears, which is normal as a result of a dusty environment. Any excessive amounts of discharge or if the discharge is yellow, white or green, you may need to seek professional help. Also keep an eye out for any swelling or drooping of the eyelids if you notice that your animal refuses to open its eye, this is usually an indicator that the eye is damaged and, again, will call for a visit from your veterinarian.

Bute is known to be very effective in reducing any significant amounts of pain that your horse may be experiencing and should be administered if your horse is in noticeable discomfort. The bute will also help bring down any swelling in the region, allowing you to flush out the debris and discharge from the affected eye. Proceed to then rinse the animal’s eye with the help of a clean sponge, damped with the help of a little water and gently wipe around the eye, thereby allowing the water to flow into the eye from the sponge.  It is important to remember that the animal would not be initially comfortable with having its eye rinsed and thus, a little patience may be required. Some of the more common signs to look for when detecting eye injuries include the eyelid being cut or torn, swollen lids, white film present over the entire eye or in certain spots as well as tears running down the horses face, indicating a torn tear duct.

The best first aid for an injured eye or infection would be to clean the affected area with the help of a saline solution. This can be easily made at home by mixing some salt in lukewarm water at a ratio of about ¼ teaspoon of salt to a cup of water. Placing a fly mask over the horse will help ward off any troublesome flies that will only serve to exaggerate the problem. Keep your steed in a stable with subdued light until further inspection by the veterinarian.