I am looking at a yearling stallion prospect with great type, movement, and pedigree. However he has a “human eye” on one side. Although his vision is fine and he is very easy to handle, I’m afraid that that will limit his acceptance as a breeding stallion. Opinions?
Cabardino
I am a hunter rider for over 40 years, so appearance in my field means a lot, for better or worse. That having been said, I, personally, would never breed to one with an obvious sclera. Just my opinion.
I am also a Mare Owner that will not breed to a stallion that has exposed sclera. This is just a personal preference though. I’m sure there are a lot of other Mare Owners out there that wouldn’t care. I’m always looking for the total package though and am incredibly picky. 
I breed more for performance than for looks, so if a stallion had everything else I wanted, I wouldn’t reject him because of exposed sclera.
Only photograph him from the good side. I think we would all be amazed at the conformation issues that have been disguised over the years.
That being said, I would not knowingly breed to a horse with a white sclera. I don’t like the look.
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A lot of horses with large blazes will have an eye with white sclera. On of my first homebred fillies has one. At first, I disliked that eye and would always try to take pics of her from her “good” side, because I had always heard the old wives tales about that sort of eye going with horses with poor work ethic, etc. Over time I came to see that that eye meant nothing at all about any negative traits. Now, I rather like a horse with that eye, as long as the eye is still large and soft. To me, it just goes with the chrome.
As you can see, her eye did not detract from winning. :winkgrin:
http://homeagainfarm.com/images/Winallribbon.jpg
This one was her “good” side.
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I used to not like it but I don’t mind it anymore and it wouldn’t stop me from breeding to a stallion, for whatever that’s worth.
Two of my very best horses had white sclera so it wouldn’t stop me at all from using him, but I do know many people, unfortunately, who are really bothered by it.
I’ve known a few great horses over the years with a white sclera - wouldn’t bother me in the least.
non-issue
I really, really don’t care for horses with the white sclera… But one of the best two ponies we had as kids were POA/Appies and sclera usually comes with the package… One was the best pony in the WORLD. The other was a rotten apple that taught us a lot.
That being said, if the stallion checked off every other prerequisite I had, the sclera would be a non-issue for me.
[QUOTE=Home Again Farm;8023760]
A lot of horses with large blazes will have an eye with white sclera. On of my first homebred fillies has one. At first, I disliked that eye and would always try to take pics of her from her “good” side, because I had always heard the old wives tales about that sort of eye going with horses with poor work ethic, etc. Over time I came to see that that eye meant nothing at all about any negative traits. Now, I rather like a horse with that eye, as long as the eye is still large and soft. To me, it just goes with the chrome.
As you can see, her eye did not detract from winning. :winkgrin:
http://homeagainfarm.com/images/Winallribbon.jpg
This one was her “good” side.
http://homeagainfarm.com/images/Win_head_PPshow.jpg[/QUOTE]
I actually like her better from the “sclera view”. (Or maybe I’m just feeling a bit dazzled by all those ribbons.) She looks like a smarty-pants. :winkgrin: Beautiful mare.
[QUOTE=twelvegates;8024258]
I actually like her better from the “sclera view”. (Or maybe I’m just feeling a bit dazzled by all those ribbons.) She looks like a smarty-pants. :winkgrin: Beautiful mare.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, twelvegates! She is a smarty pants. :winkgrin: She was a wonderful show horse (super work ethic and potential). I kept her in work with my trainer for a couple of years before I bred her. Now she is 17 years young and back under saddle with a friend who had lost her riding horse. She had not been ridden for quite a while, but took back to it like a duck to water. I love her very much and would never part with her.
I love “googlers!” :lol:
Seriously, it wouldn’t bother me in the least.
As I recall Wallstreet Kid had one. I believe he was the high scorer at his 100DT. Kid was a was a very successful Hanoverian stallion with many successful offspring, primarily in the hunter ring. 
It would be a non-issue to me too. For breeding stock, I would expect it to produce more white markings in case that was a positive or a negative for some.
Non-issue for me.
I agree with the Cabardino comment. He is very successful as a sire and used often. I have seen a lot of his babies and I don’t think I have seen one (in person) that has white sclera.
IMO, I do not think it is passed on necessarily other than probably linked to white near the eye, as someone above said.
Of all the important things there are to think of when breeding horses, white sclera would be way down my list! Most Appys have white sclara so I am used to it, but our stallion Lion King has a white sclera eye and he is a Hanoverian. Hardly any of his offspring have it but we have gotten some pretty “chromey” markings so maybe the two do go together?
I have a TB mare who went Intermediate who has a white sclera, her daughter who had it also went Intermediate. Needless to say I would not be put off!
Jennifer
