TEXAS VET NEWS By Dr. Bob Judd, DVM and the Texas Farm Bureau Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network

Eye disease in horses is always a potentially serious condition as a horse’s eye seems very sensitive compared to other domestic animals.  Multiple conditions can affect the horse’s eye, including trauma, infection, and tumors, but the most common eye problem seen in horses is a corneal ulcer.  The cornea is the outermost part of the eye and an ulcer occurs when a portion of the cornea is missing.  Symptoms of corneal ulcers include pain, excessive tearing, and squinting of the eye.  If one of your horses develops any symptoms like these, it may be an emergency and needs to be seen by your vet as soon as possible. 

Do not instill any medication in the horse’s eye until it is checked by your vet because some medication, especially those that contain cortisone, can cause severe problems if the eye has an ulcer.  Most superficial ulcers will heal quickly unless infected.  However, ulcers infected with bacteria or fungi can lead to blindness so quick treatment is critical.  Another common eye disease is uveitis.  Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that can lead to blindness and one form of uveitis that can reoccur is called equine recurrent uveitis or ERU.  ERU is actually the leading cause of blindness in horses and is common in Appaloosas and European warmbloods.  Symptoms include eye squinting, excessive tearing, and redness of the tissues around the eye. These symptoms are about the same as those of a corneal ulcer, but many of the medications are different so it is important to know what you are treating before placing medication in a horse’s eye.  If you think your horse may have an eye problem, call your equine vet immediately.     

Date Published: 3/2/2009 9:37:00 AM