Gardner explains. “If something is far away in front of them, like a jump, they can still see what’s in front of them. The time it becomes challenging is when, say, you need to ride along the arena fence which the horse can’t see: that’s a case of the horse needing to be responsive to the rider and trust- ing that the rider will guide them accurately.”
Simple Precautions There is a reason people constantly joke about wrapping horses in bubble wrap. It seems if there is a way horses can injure themselves, they will—but there are a few measures you can take to help protect your horse’s eyes. In the barn, make sure there are no nails, screws or other sharp objects a horse could injure an eye on, and in the pasture make sure fences and outbuildings are in good repair, trim low- hanging branches and remove thorny bushes. Fly masks can also help shield the eyes. “We really don’t
know the scope of which long-term effects we can prevent using, for example, fly masks with UV protection. We do know
Saving Ariette’s Eye
Last September, adult amateur eventer Amy Farrell Palmer of Tryon, North Carolina was treating her ten-year-old Danish Warmblood mare Ariette with three medications three times daily for an ulcer in her eye. When her veter- inarian, Dr. Bibi Freer, checked the eye four days later, a fungal infection had developed and Dr. Freer referred Amy to Dr. Emilie Setlawke at Tryon Equine Hospital. “Dr. Emilie was sure her eye was going to
rupture that evening,” Amy recounts. “Eyes can turn fungal within 24 hours. There had been ten cases at the hospital the previous week alone! I am grateful for Bibi getting me to TEH so fast, since I think a moment later her eye would have ruptured. It’s a miracle it didn’t. I did a lot of praying myself and asked others to join me.” Given her budget, Amy opted to treat
that UV light contributes to the development of cataracts in people,” Dr. McMullen says. “Horses living at higher elevation, in Colorado for example, may be more susceptible to light- induced (UV) ocular problems than horses at lower eleva- tions. Especially in horses with lighter color coats, like grays and palominos, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment, and using a UV-rated fly mask may have positive long-term effects.”
Horses Are Not Humans Remember, horses see differently than people. As animals of prey, horses’ eyes observe their surroundings differently than we do. In addition, their sense of smell and sound are finely attuned to the world around them. Recognizing that they experience the world differently
than you do might be the first step to developing a stron- ger relationship with your horse. When you notice negative changes in behavior, it is worth looking into his eyes to find out if something is happening there that shouldn’t be.
some absolutely amazing friends come over every day and help with the daytime meds while I was at work,” she continues. “The treatments continued over two months. It wasn’t until the very end that the frequency was reduced to every six hours, so I only had to get up once at midnight.” Knowing that if the treatment worked
the eye would not have to be removed kept Amy motivated. “I know she would adjust to life without an eye, but I wanted to continue to the fight to keep her eye. After a month or more of treatments without a full night’s sleep, I did start to wonder if I was doing the right thing!” During the treatment it was antici-
the eye with medication instead of eye surgery. After 48 hours in the hospital she took her horse, who had been fitted with a subpalpebral lavage (SPL) catheter, home along with two bags full of medications and three pages of instructions for her care. “I was overwhelmed when I got home and read the
discharge instructions. I wondered what I had got myself into,” she says. “I had to inject her medications every two hours. She needed five different injections that had to be done every ten minutes, so it would take me nearly an hour to do the injec- tions, then she would have an hour off, then I would return to do the next round. This went on around the clock for a few weeks. I hauled Ariette to TEH every 48 hours for a recheck exam with Dr. Emilie.” “Once the injections were down to every four hours, I had
Amy Palmer and Ariette at the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center in Tryon, NC.
pated that Ariette would only regain 50 percent of her vision, but today her vision is almost completely normal. Amy says the mare also adjusted to the treat- ment in time. “Initially she would neigh to every horse in the hospital, was twitched, sedated and still not too keen on her eye
exams. By the end, she stood with her leg cocked during her eye exams, no artificial aids or drugs.” With the initial treatment beginning in September, Ariette finally had the SPL removed in November. “Her eye still has a little bit of cloudiness, but it continues to get better every week. She will always have a little bit of scarring, but my friends said they cannot notice it when we ride together. She has regained full vision and I have not noticed any difference riding her.” Amy credits her experience in Pony Club as a teenager with
giving her the horsemanship skills, sense of responsibility and determination to get through this difficult ordeal. “I honestly had no idea at the start of all of this, the time commitment or the expense, but that doesn’t mean I regret putting in the work to save her eye for a minute.” v
Warmbloods Today 41
Courtesy Amy Palmer
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