[Miss Thunder]

This is mostly directed to those who have horses with blue eyes..

Do you find blue eyes get the gunky stuff quicker than normal eyes? Like, you know, needs more care?

I find with my mare (she's a Cremello), ever since I've owned her she's always had gunky stuff in her eyes. The vet said her eyes are healthy, but what might be causing it is her forelock in her eyes (she has a looooong forelock). So we've always braided it off to the side most of the time, but they still get the icky stuff in them. My two year old has an even longer forelock (right down to the tip of his nose) and he doesn't have this problem. It seems to be 'worst' (not so much worst, as happens more often) in the winter.

Anyone know why this is like this? There's no eye infection. Just wondering if anyone else has this too. Can't wait for winter to be totally gone, then her eyes are 95% of the time better

Thanks.

[spyro1]

Are you sure it isn't allergies??

[Miss Thunder]

Nope, vet checked for that too. He thought maybe she was allergic to her hay (not severly though) but she's not. Nor is she to her bedding.

I'm kinda clueless as to why her eyes have always been like this

[Blistering Winds]

Too much dust? Dirt in the air? Anything that gets into their eyes can cause the gunky stuff.

Mine is bad right now. Mostly from allergies, but we've had some nice dust storms blow up.

[spyro1]

I know that people that have blue eyes (like me) have more sensitive eyes to the sun, dust, etc. Have you tried putting a fly mask on her??

[Miss Thunder]

A fly mask in the summer yes, mostly because of the flies. Maybe that's why she's better off in the summer than winter. Never thought of that

So it's not only me with the gunky eyes?

[probarrelracer]

Try a fly mask when she is out. I don't even haul my horses without fly masks. Never know what will fly in there.
wink

[CANDYGIRL]

Hello Miss Thunder with the satelite dish LOL

If you remember my Candy was cremello, we had a conversation about you having a big Candy.

I know exactly where your coming from, Cands eye were a nightmare to keep right.

She wore a fly fringe all year round - hers would be worse in the summer, but was never without her fly mask.

What it was with her - because the eyes are blue, and the pigment around the eyelids are very pink, there is no natural protection from the sun, wind, dust, flies, you name it.

She would look like she had permanent conjunctivitis, but she hadn't. I could pull strings of the gung everyday from her eyes.

I used to clean them with cotton wool and cold tea(no Milk LOL)

I tried every horse cream the vet had - none of them worked, then we tried one for cows - Dry Cow - this worked great.

My suggestion - keep a fly fringe(I used to make my own, lots of tassles) on all the time. I had a field safe headcoller on her(would break under stress) to attach my fly fringe, clean with cold tea everyday, and ask about the Dry Cow - can find out who makes it for you - but only available here through vet.

Jane

[DefinitelyADreamer]

Hi,

My girl has blue eyes and the odd day she will have a few little "crusty's" (as I call them), but her eye's are no worse than my TB.
The only real problem I find is if it is really sunny out it seems a little harder on her than the others, so I found if I throw her fly mask on (even in the winter) it helps shield her eyes from the rays! Someone should invent giant horse sunglasses.

[CANDYGIRL]

Dreamer,

LOL, I have a Robinson Catalogue by me(UK) In there is a horse sun viser, like a peak cap without the top bit - I was laughing my head off when I saw it, but if it works.

It was a standing joke about getting Candy some sun glasses. She just couldn't bare the sun, even in the winter like you said, if it was real sunny, I would put her in, in the day and turn her out at night.

Maybe one day someone will make some and make their millions

<small>[ April 01, 2004, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: CANDYGIRL ]</small>