Using a full cup blinker on one eye for a horse with a . . . .UPDATED

[LookmaNohands]

Vision problem. I have a horse that I have had for just one year who was just diagnosed with “bullet hole lesions” in the cornea of his left eye. This horse passed a PPE just fine, but most vet’s don’t dilate the pupil to check the eye in a PPE and that is the only way to see this problem. A just “once over” wouldn’t find this problem. Horse seemed fine when I tried him. He was eventing at training level no problem. I had not jumped hardly at all for a few years and this horse was quiet and steady to ride down to a jump.

Long story short–I have had lots of trouble with this horse because of spookiness and his weird behavior over ground poles. Also had to treat him for ulcers and EPM so ground poles are all I have done–no jumping. Finally, after a weird, giant spook I decided to have an eye specialist look at him and this is what she found.

Apparently this horse, at one time in his life probably had herpes virus in this eye. In many cases it causes random bullet hole lesions which the vet, Dr. Nunnerly, described as being like “missing pixels” on your TV or monitor. Unfortunately in this horse the bullet hole lesions run in a horizontal line across the middle of his vision. Hard to know just what he sees or how much. Obviously, ground poles look weird to him. I guess jumps do not. Dr. Nunnerly suggested I try a blinker hood with a full cup to block all vision in that eye for riding. She said she has a client who does this on her event horse who has a large floater in one eye.

So I ordered a blinker hood for him. Just wondered if anyone out there has experienced with this sort of thing. I guess I am looking for guidance on how to proceed with the hood. I specialize in working with horses with behavior problems and have riding experience though advanced level eventing many years ago. But since I am well past the half century mark I don’t think I will keep this horse. I really want to get back to jumping but on something reliably safe.

It is good to finally understand what is going on with this horse. I can kind of see a new way forward to deal with this. But I could use a little help!

[4horses]

One of mine has a vision problem in one eye. I’ve wondered about adding a full cover over the bad eye and if it would help.

[2tempe]

Never used one, but for sure I would start with it on just in his stall to see how he reacts. Short amounts of time and watch him in case he gets stupid. Then hand walk, then work up to getting on. Do you have access to round pen? Baby steps as you assess his comfort level with the eye cover.

[LookmaNohands]

Does anyone out there have experience riding and jumping a horse with just one eye? I ordered a hood with a blind left eye for this horse. Just wondering if you have to make adjustments in how you approach things. Do you keep them straight or do you let them bend toward their blind side so they have more frontal vision with their good eye?

Still could use some help here.

[bingbingbing]

The horse I showed with one eye went with his head in a normal position. He had been blind in the one eye for awhile.
Let the horse go however he is comfortable. I would wait until he is very comfortable on the ground, then on the flat and if he doesn’t seem spooky or scared then start with poles. Every horse adapts differently.
Given your horse’s problem he may be relieved not to have the bullet hole vision. Just start slow and see how he reacts.

[Equisis]

@2tempe

Never used one, but for sure I would start with it on just in his stall to see how he reacts. Short amounts of time and watch him in case he gets stupid. Then hand walk, then work up to getting on. Do you have access to round pen? Baby steps as you assess his comfort level with the eye cover.

If you think the horse might get panicky, putting it on outside (in hand) for the first time is actually a better idea. Taking away half their visual field in a confined space where they cannot see the wall, buckets, etc can contribute to the problem. We have always put blinkers on after leaving the barn for this reason. FWIW, I have never had one get stupid about blinkers, but I have definitely noticed nervousness if they get put on in the barn by mistake.

As for jumping, I have ridden a couple of horses with one eye, and they carried their heads fairly normally. You will have to see how this horse adjusts, and ride him accordingly. IME they respond pretty well and don’t necessarily need a lot of accommodations under saddle.

[jawa]

Our huntsman has a horse that has vision issues in one eye. He has a hood with a full blinker to cover that eye. When he doesn’t wear it, he spooks at seemingly random things. I would guess because of the missing pixels the thing isn’t visible until it is and then the horse is surprised and spooks.

[luvmyhackney]

I’ve use blinker hoods before with no issues and rode a couple horses with one eye. Both were amazing to ride, but one you did have to help reassure him on his blind side and give clear directions. They both were fine to trail ride.

[Mulligan314]

@LookmaNohands

Does anyone out there have experience riding and jumping a horse with just one eye? I ordered a hood with a blind left eye for this horse. Just wondering if you have to make adjustments in how you approach things. Do you keep them straight or do you let them bend toward their blind side so they have more frontal vision with their good eye?

Still could use some help here.

There currently is an article on the main page of COTH about a hunter horse with one eye. https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/back-from-the-brink-largent-m-gives-back-to-ross-after-mystery-blindness

[PushersBlue]

Have a horse that had one eye have issues with corneal ulcers and abscesses then finally the eye turned cloudy. He actually became much calmer once that eyesight went to the cloud over barely any vision level (according to NC State). I would suggest as others did to try the blinder on in hand but chances are the horse may be relieved. Sounds like you are only doing ring riding but one piece of advice is to remember that you are now responsible for that side of the horse meaning rail proximity, trail edge, jump standard etc. We had a bad scare where I didn’t pay enough attention to center him away from a trail edge. Other than those things to keep in mind, he was much much happier when the sight finally gave instead of what likely was holes or flashes in his vision.

[LookmaNohands]

@PushersBlue

Have a horse that had one eye have issues with corneal ulcers and abscesses then finally the eye turned cloudy. He actually became much calmer once that eyesight went to the cloud over barely any vision level (according to NC State). I would suggest as others did to try the blinder on in hand but chances are the horse may be relieved. Sounds like you are only doing ring riding but one piece of advice is to remember that you are now responsible for that side of the horse meaning rail proximity, trail edge, jump standard etc. We had a bad scare where I didn’t pay enough attention to center him away from a trail edge. Other than those things to keep in mind, he was much much happier when the sight finally gave instead of what likely was holes or flashes in his vision.

Thanks. A friend of mine said the same thing, that he might be calmer with it on. I have ridden him in cheek pieces and he is more settled with them. I just got the blinker hood today so I will try it in the barn before anything else.

Yes, he probably has holes in his vision on the left side. He has a hard time with ground poles. Though he evented training level with this issue with his former owner who was clueless. My friend rode a couple different jumpers who were one eyed so she has offered me advice too.

[LookmaNohands]

I have now ridden this horse in the full (blind) cup four times and it is going okay. He is not shying from the left anymore. He is really looking at things with his right eye though. Stupid things like the darker, taller clumps of grass in the field and some shadows in the arena. He has had a tendency to do this in the past and I was wondering how it would be now. Not sure if this will get better or not. Maybe he just has to get used to the difference in how things look overall without the ability to use his left eye.

But today he had a weird moment and I think there might be some light leaking in under the cup so I will have to check it over and maybe put some padding under it. He was doing fairly well. I was riding late–close to 5 pm so the shadows were a bit long. He never has liked bright sun with deep shadows. So he was occasionally looky at things on the right that were in shadow. Over all I thought it was going well when suddenly he leaped all four feet off the ground! I have no idea why. It wasn’t a big leap but he hasn’t ever done that before. That is when I wondered if he was maybe getting some light under the cup. So I will have to check that.

I have been working on riding him in the field and the ring letting him see everything from all directions so he isn’t surprised by how things look. So I guess I will just continue and hope he gets better and better!

[Cocorona]

I had a barn mate who did mini prix’s on her horse who lost his vision in one eye. They had been together a long time and so I think he really trusted her when they rolled back on his blind side to just go forward and wait till he saw the obstacle. But if someone hadn’t told you he was blind on one side- you would have never known at all as there was nothing in the way he went that ever gave an indication that he couldn’t see properly.

The only issue he ever had was that he got very uncomfortable in wet riding conditions and she would not jump him outside in the rain. We always suspected that the slick/squishy footing altered his senses and without full sight he became too nervous so she was just very aware of the weather at all times

[cattywampus]

We had a one- eyed pony back in the day–Pony Club, horse trials, games…he was a jumping fool.

My mom continued to event her horse after her lost vision in one eye; when he lost vision in the other (Appaloosa, ERU), she rode him on the flat.

An old friend of mine evented and played polocrosse on a mare who was blind in one eye-- while not every horse is going to adapt well, the ones I’ve known and ridden were brave and safe before and after losing vision on one side.

[Janet]

Leslie Clark had an eventer that was blind in one eye. She continued to compete him,at least Training level.