Hello fellow four-eyes,
I feel as if people who wear glasses are disproportionately represented in the horse riding community.
I wear my specs all day, and have never used contacts.
Do you have any pros or cons for either? My glasses often get coated with dust, and I’m afraid of them breaking if I have a fall.
I have always worn glasses. Contacts make me want to gouge my eyes out after about an hour.
I keep my older glasses (or a cheap pair) just for barn/riding in case I do break them.
It’s always fun looking for your glasses after a fall when you can’t see crap without them:winkgrin:
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I have worn glasses all my life.
I took them off to start colts, but once they are going well I didn’t any more.
I tend not to fall off, so really didn’t worry too much.
Showing, it was a toss up if to not see good to get around a course or have glasses on that didn’t always stay in place or got dirty/wet.
It is a nuisance when it rains, then I wish they made windshield wipers for glasses.
Welding, for some reason, even with a welding helmet on, there is the ocassional speck get in there that burns spots on glasses.
Titanium wire frames you screw the glasses to directly are the best, no more bent/broken frames.
I like the bit of protection glasses give your eyes, especially outside in our relentless winds.
I used to show in contacts until I got a bit of grit under a contact on a sandy dusty day in a hack class. Hell.
I have never had a glasses issue though my glasses get might beat up.
Also not tolerant of contacts. I always save my last pair when I get a new pair and try to use the oldies at the barn. That works for a week or two then I forget. I have fallen on my face once and the glasses did a bit of damage but nothing bad.
I couldn’t tolerate contacts in good not dusty conditions so after trying several types, I gave up and it is specs all the way. With the light polycarbonate lenses, they are fine. If we still had glass lenses, they would weigh about 2 lbs and I might just ride blind:lol:.
Susan
I’ve had glasses all my life and I’ll say I’ve broken one pair and damaged another. All my glasses are insured. This makes replacing them a lot cheaper. I should mention I’ve broken two other pairs in non horse related events. My eyes are very wonky and always changing so I can’t keep old pairs for riding. When I was showing I had a fabric holder I got at dicks sporting goods for showing. As for dirt I’ve never had an issue but I always rinse my glasses in water before cleaning them to get any loose dirt off.
My glasses sometimes slide down my nose a bit when I’m riding (probably because I look down, oops!). Today I was having issues with fogging. I did once lose my glasses when I got bucked off - they didn’t break I just had a hell of time finding them in the dirt without my glasses on. I have daily disposable contacts I wear if I show, or am planning a more vigorous ride.
I have glasses but never ride in them. I don’t want to deal with it. That being said my prescription is pretty mild. I have never noticed or thought about others wearing glasses or contacts.
Another here who hates contacts. I ride in transition glasses so as they go dark outside and lighten inside. As others said I have an old pair in the glove box. I met a good friend once when I jumped on Vinnie Bare back and she bucked and bucked and bucked and bucked. She kept going until I slipped down her shouder with a heap of mane. I then had a very upset horse I was trying to keep still and calling for help for someone to look for my glasses before she stood on them.
She taught me not to ride strange horses bareback and I just don’t do it anymore. I don’t even think of falling off horses anymore. Touch wood!
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I have worn glasses all my life except for a year or two of contacts maybe age 17 to 19.
These days I have reading glasses that stay home, extremely expensive progressives that go to work, and single vision glasses with transitional lenses for riding and outdoors, so they double as prescription sunglasses.
I try to never take the progressives to the barn.
All my glasses currently have titanium or metal frames which are way sturdier than plastic frames.
I think that if I didn’t need prescription glasses I would still be wearing sunglasses. And I like the protection from branches and things.
I don’t think I’ve broken a pair of glasses falling off. I’ve only fallen off 3 times since I returned to riding ten years ago.
Had a fall wearing my glasses, broke my nose…,got Lasik surgery—the best thing I ever did.
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I ride in glasses because I need to see where I am going. 
. Progressive clear lenses indoors or in shade, progressive sunglasses outside in sun.
Have lightweight titanium frames, “unbreakable” “scratch-resistant” lenses. (Quotation marks are because that is what the sellers say–not 100% true, but fairly accurate.)
Did a face-plant off the horse once in a lesson, came up, and could not find my glasses. Wandered around asking for help to look for them, until my trainer pried them out from under the brim of my helmet, where they had been crammed. Not broken, barely scratched.
Do have occasional fogging issues, usually if I am sweating a lot and weather is humid.
A lifetime glasses wearer here, got turned down for Lasik because of damage to my eye. I HATE riding in them with a passion, I spend so much of each lesson trying to get the steam off them, the joy of working hard in an unheated arena in sub zero temps…
On the positive side, I have cataracts starting in both eyes now, and when they get bad enough I will get the surgery!
I have terrible vision. While I wore contacts when I was younger, my eyes no longer tolerate them and I don’t see well enough to ride without glasses. I tend to ride in glasses with metal frames that are adjusted to stay on well. Often i cycle my older pairs for use at the barn as the thing that changes the most is the near part of my progressive prescription and it isn’t an issue with riding.
I have broken glasses in a fall. It happened out hunting and I finished the ride even though I couldn’t see. I figured my horse was following the field and he could see. It was like riding through an impressionist painting.
My horse fell with me about 7 weeks ago and my glasses came off. One of the difficult things was finding them (hoping all the while that they were intact). They were fine. I was broken.
What bothers me the most is riding in the rain and when they fog up. I just deal with it.
I always have a spare pair in the car.
I keep trying contacts, to no avail. The dry climate here along with our winds made it just not comfortable to keep trying. Plus I would need cheaters to read anything with them in. I have had a few falls, only one did some damage to my glasses, and I had a spare pair.
Every two to three years or so, I get a fitting for contacts, with hopes that new technology will make them comfortable. So far, no joy.
Advantage of riding dressage–the letters are in large print
I do need sunglasses for riding outside, and trail riding though. I go for plastic frames and lenses for safety, and croakies so I don’t lose them and they don’t slide down my nose.
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I sometimes ride in my glasses if I’m having a particularly lazy day (this often coincides with me showing up to ride in leggings or sweat pants vs. breeches) and I HATE it. Perhaps they don’t fit right and I just haven’t noticed since I wear my contacts all the time, but they’re just uncomfortable under my helmet and hairnet. They also slide around a little bit, which I find frustrating. Lasik is absolutely in my future.
I am getting Lasik done next week. I’m pretty excited about it.
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FYI I have prescription sunglasses Maui Jin poly carb and they work great. Also I know they won’t cut my face/eyes in a fall. You can get cheap prescription glasses at Costco but beware of the glass quality as far as not hurting you in a fall or around the barn. I use cheap distance not progressive glasses around horses.
I think you will love the Lasik results. The day I got mine done, it was me and five young construction workers.
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