Vision Testing In Horses

Currently, vision testing in horses is not an exact science. The main goal of the ophthalmic examination is to identify abnormalities of the eye and speculate on how they could affect the vision based on known structure and function of the eye.
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Have you noticed any changes in your vision? Yes, in fact I’m starting to have trouble reading the street signs while driving. Well then, sit back in the chair and relax. I’m going to dim the lights and have you read the letters while looking through the machine–which letter is sharper? This one or this one? This one or this one? This one or this one…Sound familiar? For those of us who wear glasses, this is a routine visit to the optometrist.

Have you noticed any changes in your vision? Yes, in fact I’m starting to have trouble seeing the jumps–especially at dusk. I also have been bumping into the pasture fence more that usual. Well then, stand there and relax. I’m going to dim the lights and have you read the images while looking through the machine–which carrot is sharper? This one or this one? This one or this one? This one or this one? Unfortunately this conversation will never happen.

We have worked with a horse which has just completely freaked out over some really stupid thing on the ground or in the barn that has been there for years. What is it about today that caused the tire on the ground or brush on the ledge of a grooming stall to trigger the release of every inner demon of your horse’s mind, simultaneously? Could it be the beginning of a vision problem? Most likely not, but it never hurts to rule it out.

Theories and controversy regarding just exactly how a horse visually perceives its world have existed for more than a century

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Written by:

Michael A. Ball, DVM, completed an internship in medicine and surgery and an internship in anesthesia at the University of Georgia in 1994, a residency in internal medicine, and graduate work in pharmacology at Cornell University in 1997, and was on staff at Cornell before starting Early Winter Equine Medicine & Surgery located in Ithaca, New York. He was an FEI veterinarian and worked internationally with the United States Equestrian Team. He died in 2014.

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