Management of equine eye injuries
Eye injuries are an everyday problem when dealing with this accident-prone species. Horses can find anything to poke their eyes with from plant material, broken fence shards to other horses. Whatever the cause, eye injuries require immediate attention as they can rapidly deteriorate; waiting even a few hours can compromise healing and future vision.

As horses are flight animals their eyes are positioned on the side of their heads allowing them almost 360-degree vision. The equine eye is prone to injury due to the position, its large surface area and reduced immunity to disease. Most eye injuries are due to trauma however, some are due to an underlying disease (immune, neurologic or metabolic disease). Any eye injury has the potential to cause blindness and can degenerate very quickly so should be regarded for priority treatment. With prompt treatment many eye problems can be well controlled within a few days.

Identifying eye injuries early:
In order to identify eye disease early you must be comfortable with the normal appearance and function of your horse’s eyes.


The anatomy of the eye is complex however some common terms and functions are below:

Orbit: The bony socket the eyeballs sit within
Eyelids: There are three components; skin, muscles (enables blinking), and the inner lining of conjunctiva (Blood rich tissue). Horses also have a third eyelid that closes horizontally across the eyeball.
Cornea:The transparent covering of the eyeball it provides a barrier against microorganisms
Uvea: The iris is the coloured part of the horse’s eye and contracts or dilates the pupil (a hole in the iris) controlling the amount of light the eye is exposed to.
Lens: By relaxation or contraction, the lens changes its size and thickness to focus on near or faraway objects. The lens focuses the incoming light and projects it to the retina.
Retina: Nerve tissue required for vision.

Unhealthy eyes:
The anatomy of the eye is complex however some common terms and functions are below:

  • Orbit: The bony socket the eyeballs sit within
  • Eyelids: There are three components; skin, muscles (enables blinking), and the inner lining of conjunctiva (Blood rich tissue). Horses also have a third eyelid that closes horizontally across the eyeball.
  • Cornea-The transparent covering of the eyeball it provides a barrier against microorganisms
  • Uvea: The iris is the coloured part of the horses eye and contracts or dilates the pupil (a hole in the iris) controlling the amount of light the eye is exposed to.
  • Lens: By relaxation or contraction, the lens changes its size and thickness to focus on near or faraway objects. The lens focuses the incoming light and projects it to the retina.
  • Retina: Nerve tissue required for vision.

Healthy eyes:
When looking at your horse note;

  • Clear bright eyes
  • Tight eyelids that close symmetrically
  • Moist pink insides of the eyelids
  • Lack of discharge eg tears, wet stains, pus

Unhealthy eyes:
Some early signs of eye injuries that you should watch out for include;

  • Change in eye size
  • Colour change (Red, blue, white)
  • Squinting
  • Rubbing eye and head
  • Head shy
  • Swollen eye lids
  • Discharge (water or pus)
  • Photophobia (staying out of direct sunlight)
  • Fluid staining or irritation on the skin around the eye

Treatment should be sought immediately if any of these signs are identified.

Initial first aid:
If you believe your horse has an eye injury and is showing one or more of the above changes there are several things you can do to make the horse more comfortable while you wait for your Veterinarian to arrive. Place the horse in some shade and out of direct sunlight. Keep flies away from the eye through use of a flymask or some fly spray. Be conscious that your horse might not have the best vision so talk to your horse when approaching and don’t work the horse until you are certain its vision is back to normal. The horse’s environment should be as dust free, with sharp edges or obstacles kept to a minimum.

Veterinary Care:
To investigate the cause and extent of injury your veterinarian will complete some diagnostic tests including examination for external trauma or material stuck in or around the eye. Fluorescein stain, involving placing a small amount of dye into the eye, attaches to shredded tissue such as a tear or ulcer staining it florescent green. This reveals the extent, position and depth of injury. Other common tests include;

  • Examining under the eyelid for foreign bodies
  • Intraocular pressure for signs of glaucoma or uveitis (Inflammation of the uvea tract)
  • Response to light and visual cues (Pupil Light Reflex and Menace response)
  • Culture and microbiological samples (corneal swabs or scrapes)
  • Fundic examination (looking at the back of eye)

Most horses are given a sedative to allow for easier examination and manipulation of the eye. Veterinarians may also use nerve bocks to desensitise the eye and immobilise the eyelids and muscles making the examination of the eye less traumatic and painful to your horse.

Medical treatment of the eye:
The primary goals in treating eye injuries are preventing infection, reducing inflammation and keeping the pupil dilated. Medicating the equine eye can be done through a range of methods the main being topical (Directly on the eye surface), subconjunctival (under the conjunctiva), within the eyeball (intraocular) and systemic (intramuscular, intravenous, oral). Depending on your horse’s injury your veterinarian will choose the most appropriate treatment plan. The most common are topical and systemic.

Systemic treatments are usually administered by the veterinarian or given orally, however topical treatments are left for you to apply. For the best outcome and fastest recovery you need to make sure you apply the medication correctly, and follow dosing frequency and duration as directed by your veterinarian.

Step 1. Rest your left hand on the horse’s nose and use your thumb to open the top eyelid. Place your right hand with the ointment under the eye resting on the horse’s head, this hand stabilizes and directs the ointment and can help to open the eyelid. Keep both hands on the horse and move with it’s movement.

Step 2. Once you are comfortable, direct the ointment onto the inner edge of the eye, squeeze and move horizontally across the eye ball making sure your top hand is keeping the muscular upper eyelid open.

Step 3. Softly rub the eyelid over the eye to evenly spread the ointment.

If complications occur or the injury is severe other options of treatment include surgery, enucleation (removal of eye) and temporary tubing for delivery of medication.

How you can help your horse:
You may see a marked improvement quickly, however it is important to complete the full treatment regimes indicated by the veterinarian. Don’t stop the medication early! If treatment is prematurely ceased a small cut could rapidly deteriorate to an infection or ‘melting’ of the eye. The position of the injury on the eye also plays a role in the healing, as the cornea has no blood vessels for healing to occur new blood vessels need to be made to infiltrate the injured area of the eye. This allows healing properties and nutrients to be supplied. If the laceration is in the centre of the eye it may take longer than those on the edges of the eye due to slow blood vessel growth taking time to reach the injury.

If you would like further information please contact us.