b'DEALING WITH DETERIORATING VISIONimpaired horses learn what is expected of them, says Dwyer. This type of training also strengthens the bond between horseResources for Owners of Visually and owner. Impaired HorsesTake-Home Message Rollingdogfarm.orgWhile ocular issues and visual impair-Blindhorses.orgment can occur at any life stage, says Secondchanceranchnc.comMalalana-Martinez, our study clearly Valianttrust.orgshows that ocular pathology is common Blindhorsecare.orgin horses 15 years or older, and that in-Dwyer A. Practical Management of Blind Horses. In: Gilger, B (ed). Equine Ophthalmology, creased aging is associated with increased2nd ed. Elsevier, 2010. Blindhorses.org/resources_pract_management.html.Dr. Ann Dwyeroccurrence of eye abnormalities and cata-racts. With the aging equine population continuing to grow as horses are increas-ingly treated as pets rather than beasts ofparticularly in aging horses. Speak withSome blind horses seem to retain their burden, this means ocular issues will alsoyour veterinarian about any concerns youglobes with no apparent discomfort, but increasingly need to be addressed. have at your horses next routine physical. others experience signs of chronic discom-Knowledge of diseases affecting olderDwyer stresses the importance offort, she says. It can be hard to judge the horses is essential to provide adequaterecognizing that vision loss affects eachdiscomfort, but veterinarians who have preventive or therapeutic measures tohorses welfare differently and, so, yourenucleated blind eyes that appear to be maximize their athletic careers andveterinarians recommended treatmentbothering the horse have often been told quality of life, he adds.will vary with it. And, again, have yourby the owners that the horse shows im-Its important that veterinarians per- veterinarian out at the first sign of a po- provement in temperament and attitude form a systematic ocular exam annually,tential ocular issue impacting vision. once theyve recovered from surgery. h28November 2018The Horse | TheHorse.com'