Blue Eyes

[Matt73]

So...my Willow has the most beautiful, crystal blue eyes. When I bought her they were quite runny. They are getting a bit better (I wipe them with a cool cloth at least every other day), but...My question is this: Are horses with blue eyes (and expecially cremellos/perlinos) prone to having more sensitivity/weeping? What have you noticed? I know that many appaloosa horses can have "gunky" eye issues. Is it the same with the double dilutes?

 

[Carolyn R]

I aim for the blue eyes. I LOVE them, but you are correct Matt. They are more sensative to light. Eyes that are the most sensitive are those that are double dilutes and those that have no pigment at all around blue eyes. Some of mine don't seem to have an issue or very minimal at most, others tend to have a bit of tearing, especially in the summer months when the sun is high over head.

I had a mare that was receiving eye care for an injury sustained while in training. I had inquired with the attending equine vet/opthamologist from the New Bolton center on this very issue and the benefits of eye tattoos.

She confirmed that the horses at high risk for tearing, irratation and other eye related health risks are blue eyed horses without any pigment around their eye/eyes at all. She also said that unless a horse is out in the large wide open or has chronic excessive eye irratation issues, she does not believe tattooing is a cure all benefit for them.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I put fly masks on my appy boys and that keeps them from getting gunky. I even the eye protection on bright days in the winter too. Good idea to keep those appy eyes with "sunglasses" on, blue or not.

 

[End Level Farms]

Hello Matt73

I have mostly blue eyed horses. And its the dark eyed horses I have that have the gunky eyes.

My stallion if his forelock gets short (from rubbing) And it pokes him in the eye then his eyes will gunk up.

They are all a little more sensitive to the light but don't seem to gunk.

 

[love_casper]

My only one with eye issues is a black horse with dark eyes, go figure lol! All summer she's anywhere from looking like she's sobbing to swollen half closed if I don't do anything about it. My blue eyed 2 and one eyed girl don't have near the problems, but they will get a little watery when outside in the sun all day. There was a big appy at my last barn with pink skin that needed to be kept out of the sun all the time, he was very sensitive. With my eye problem girlie, I wash her eyes out with a wet cloth - have even needed to flush it with a syringe in previous years - each morning before breakfast and put her fly mask on, then take it off every night. She usedto be incredibly head shy, and never let anyone touch her face to help her out, so when I first got her her eyes were swollen and looked pretty bad. They'd look almost that bad in the summer. Now this year she's decided that the fly mask is not the spawn of the devil, and she's improved so much she looks just fine! Now it really only acts up if I forget for a day.

 

[Charlotte]

Hmmm, I've never had any particular problem with blue eyed ones over brown eyed. I do leave forelocks long which help with keeping face flies off and I feel helps give sun protection, but that's for both dark eyed and blue eyed ones.

Charlotte

 

[ThreeCFarm]

My son's Welsh mare has one blue eye with pink skin all around it and one brown eye that gets gunky. I put her on Remission just because she's a super easy keeper and was cresty when I got her. I had read on the SmartPak wwebsite (I think I got it from them) some testimonials that said that for whatever reason many people had noticed their horses' eyes clearing up while on Remission. I have to say it is true! As long as Lucy is on Remission, her eyes have no issues.

 

[Matt73]

Interesting. I think I'll invest in some fly masks. Thanks for all the great responses

 

[CheyAut]

I have a perlino with blues (obviously), a Paint filly with two blues, and 2 minis (and had a 3rd I recently sold) with one blue eye. Never noticed any problems with their blue eyes, not runny or gunky or anything.