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Discussion on Vision changes in older horses
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Member:
chrism
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 - 11:20 pm:
If a horse was starting to have some vision changes, what would suggest it? Would the change affect both eyes equally?
I'm thinking of how humans need reading glasses after a certain age ... as an owner of coming 26 yo who has decided walking through a gate in one direction is very scarey, I'm wondering if her vision is causing her to over-react.
Going into the pasture, I can lead her on either side and she is calm. If I lead her out where I am positioned between the gate and her (on her off side), she walks fairly calmly. If I lead her on the near side (putting her by the gate), or ride her out, she is very concerned and wants to bolt through the opening.
This is a recent oddity and caretaker cannot think of an incident at the gate. When it first started, it was attributed to rushing to the barn, which it may be.
Just mulling over possibilities.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009 - 8:04 am:
Chris for symptoms of partial bilateral blindness (from any cause) see the article Diseases of Horses » Eye Diseases » Night Blindness in Horses.
If the gate is the only place she seems spooky or cautious I would say it probably is not vision but leading the horse through an obstacle course with some obstacles being hard to see, is the best way to rule this in or out. No matter what the cause I would say using conditioned response training is the best way to overcome this. For more see Training & Conditioning Horses » Behavior and Training » Modifying a Horses Behavior: Conditioned Responses.
DrO
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Member:
chrism
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009 - 3:51 pm:
Thanks Dr. O.
I've more experiments to try with her the next time out - same type of gate, different pasture, etc. Since she has always been a bit of a spook, it is interesting deciphering her reactions.
And, yes, conditioning was what I had started from the ground ...
At her last physical exam in the fall, it was noted her eyes had become somewhat cloudy overall and I grouped this as comparable to a senior dog's that become blueish/cloudy ... would this type of cloudiness affect her vision some?
Maybe it is time for the eye chart, 
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 - 7:35 am:
Certainly looking at the world through a cloudy window is going to effect vision but how much might be best guessed at by those that can see the cloudiness. Is it the cornea or the lens that is becoming cloudy? In general it is thought cloudiness of the cornea is not near as big a problem as cloudiness of the lens.
DrO
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