Everything You Need To Know About Horses

Horse With Weeping Eyes

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, a horse with chronically weepy eyes must be the most sensitive sort of fellow.

Runny equine eyes are usually evidence of a sensitivity to environmental irritants, such as dust, ammonia and insects. But because individual horses reactivity to irritants varies, the same set of airborne annoyances may set only one horse in a stable to weeping and running.

Ocular discharges occurring suddenly and in conjunction with other signs can be a red alert for serious eye disorders, such as corneal injuries and periodic ophthalmia, so it’s always a good idea to have your veterinarian examine a horse exhibiting eye pain and oozing. When simple irritation is the diagnosis, use the following tactics to turn off the tears:

• Rinse away irritants

Removing the buildup of goo in the corners of an irritated eye and washing the eyeball itself can soothe the irritation. Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe away accumulations around the eye each time you groom.

During particularly gritty weather, irrigate the horse’s eyes with a commercial equine eyewash or saline solution warmed to body temperature. Carefully spread the horse’s eyelids, and direct a gentle stream from a squirt bottle aimed from the outside corner of the eye.

• Use a fly mask year round

Insects are attracted to the moisture in and around eyes. The pests attracted to the moisture compound the problem by irritating the area and introducing dirt onto the delicate tissues. Fly masks are an effective barrier for stopping this tear making cycle as well as for protection in windy areas against larger airborne particles.

• Reduce air pollutants

Dust and ammonia are prime suspects in cases of eye irritation and respiratory problems, and you’ll need to overhaul your horse’s environment to address these problems. Separate your horses stabling from high dust settings, especially indoor riding arenas and hay storage areas. Select only superior quality hay and bedding, or when you can’t find nearly dust-free hay, feed processed roughage, such as pellets or hay cubes. Maintain indoor and outdoor riding areas to control dust, clean and air wet spots in the stable daily. Be particularly careful to prevent overgrazing that turns horse pastures into dust bowls, consult with a local agriculture expert to implement a pasture plan.