Editor’s Note: This article is part of TheHorse.com’s ongoing coverage of topics presented at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Focus on Ophthalmology conference, held Sept. 6-8 in Raleigh, N.C.

An underlying theme was apparent when a worldwide authority on equine ophthalmology presented a lecture the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Focus on Ophthalmology conference: "Horses can’t do anything easily." Specifically, in this case, the natural mechanisms in the horse’s eye do not always cooperate when veterinarians are working to repair corneal defects.

At the conference, held Sept. 6-8 in Raleigh, N.C., Dennis Brooks, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVO, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, reviewed the challenges the equine eye presents when faced with corneal ulcers and/or ulcerative keratitis, and methods that can be used to improve the outcomes for patients