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.

The equine eyelid might seem like an uncomplicated structure that simply opens and closes over the horse’s eye, but there are a number of problems that can plague the anatomy. And what’s more, these ailments are relatively common in horses.

At the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Focus on Ophthalmology conference, held Sept. 6-8 in Raleigh, N.C., Andrew Matthews, PhD, Dipl. ECEIM, hon Member ACVO, FRCVS, an equine practitioner and ophthalmologist from Ayrshire, Scotland, discussed the different disorders, diseases, and ailments of the equine eyelid.

"What you see doesn’t always appear in the textbooks," he said, explaining why he wanted to show practitioners some of the uncommon disorders they might encounter in the field