|
The Horse Eye and How A Horse Views Our World
|
|
|
Horses don't see the world like we do. There’s no way to see through a horse’s eyes, but science can help us understand how the various structures of the eyes work.
Many people think that animals, including horses see in shades of grey. This isn't true. Horses may not see some colors as vividly as we do, because they can only see two visible wavelengths in the color spectrum, whereas we can see three. That means their vision is similar to people who are colorblind. Your horse might not be able to distinguish orange from red. They can, however, see the green grass and the blue sky.
Horses may not be able to see color vividly, but they can see very well in low light. You've probably noticed the white 'ghost eye' in photos of horses taken in dark conditions where the eye appears white. That happens when the camera flash reflects off of a membrane at the back of the eye called the tapetum lucidum. This ability to reflect light allows horses to see better in darkness that would leave us groping for a flashlight.
The position of a horse’s eyes helps it to see predators and take flight before ending up as a predator’s dinner. With the horse’s eyes set on the side of the head, they have almost 360 degree vision. The only place they can’t see is directly in front of, and behind them. Some people feel that when a horse jumps, they may be blind to the exact position of the obstacle as they approach it. This is because unlike our binocular vision, horses have monocular vision. The two ‘pictures’ the brain combines when the horse focuses on something ahead of it, can’t combine when the horse gets too close to that object. That they can’t see directly behind them is one of the reasons it’s important not to surprise a horse by walking quietly up from the rear.
The retina of the horse’s eye is very large, and they have good peripheral vision. They don’t have to turn their head far to focus upon an object. Horses have better distance vision than we do, and are able to detect motion with greater sensitivity, which is important for spotting predators before they spot you.
Horses may have brown or blue eyes, with brown eyes being far more common. Horses with a lot of white on their faces sometimes have blue eyes. There's no difference in the vision of these horses.
Horses have protective tissue in the corner of their eye called the nictitating membrane. This helps protect the eye from irritation from dust, grass seeds and stems. You'll often see a bit of tearing and grime in this area. This can be cleared away with a soft damp sponge or cloth when you groom.
It's important to understand how horses see colors, shadows and light. When we're doing things like designing jumps, pastures or stables, loading horses on trailers or riding out on trail, it helps to understand when a horse may not be able to see, and what things look like from the horse's point of view. |
|
|
|
GoodMorning
I met a horse with green eyes once. He was a paint gelding, I think he did have some white on his face. But they were very green, it was really cool.
I met a horse with green eyes once. He was a paint gelding, I think he did have some white on his face. But they were very green, it was really cool.
|
Jul 4, 2013
• 3,511 views
|
|
|
|
Shadowcat
One of my friends had a horse that had gold color eyes. And he had a blaze on his face.
One of my friends had a horse that had gold color eyes. And he had a blaze on his face.
|
Jul 4, 2013
• 3,476 views
|
|
|
|
|
Related Horse News
|
|
You might have heard of seeing eye dogs before, but what about a seeing eye horse?
Seeing Eye horses (Also called Assistance Animals, Guide Ponies, etc.) aren't a huge trend in the world of assistance animals, but in special ca ...
|
|
There’s a time for every rider when they wonder why does their horse see monsters behind a jump, a tree, or a puddle? What do they see? Well, we can’t actually look through their eyes to know what the world looks like to them, bu ...
|
|
One of the most common eye problems in horses is uveitis or moon blindness. The real name for Uveitis is Equine Recurrent Uveitis or ERU for short. Uveitis is a disease that comes and goes. Uveitis refers to the inflammation of th ...
|
|
There was a large knot on the side of his head the size of a grapefruit. I iced it for about forty-five minutes. I started crying. I lost it. I’m like my mother, I don’t cry except for extreme occasions. I walked away, dropped to ...
|
|
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU) or Moonblindness can strike at any time and with any horse. Would you know what to look for? I didn't, until recently. ...
|
|
I met Bandit, a 13.3 piebald gelding at my trainer’s barn two years ago around August 2011. He was a crazily fast half-blind piebald who was a mini-me to a horse named Nippers. Bandit thrived as a lesson horse; he was fit, happy a ...
|
|
Many people think that animals, including horses see in shades of grey. This isn't true. Horses may not see some colors as vividly as we do, because they can only see two visible wavelengths in the color spectrum, whereas we can s ...
|
|
The simplest first aid treatment for any eye problem is washing the area with a saline solution. You can easily make this at home with cooled boiled water and sea salt. There are lots of recipes online and you can’t go too far wro ...
|
|
Green eyes occur on horses that are perlino, or cremello type colors. They appear green but might be blue with a gold ring around the outside of the colored area. It is possible for a very pale buckskin colored horse to have eyes ...
|
|
If you look at different horses, you will start to notice that beyond color, markings, height and build, there are many more subtle differences between them. You might think that all horse’s eyes are exactly the same. But, we’ve s ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
It often seems that tourism and horses is an unfortunate mix, especially when the offerings go unregulated. Such is the case in Istanbul, where carriage rides have come under scrutiny. Combined with a deadly virual outbreak, Istan ...
|
|
A story out of Floyd County Kentucky is getting international attention. Almost 20 horses, the major portion of a free roaming herd, have been found dead. The horses lived near a strip mine, and is accustomed to people visiting an ...
|
|
Bush racing is common in many areas. These races take place in remote countryside spaces were an impromptu track is set up, and spectators stand on the sidelines, separated by a small rope, if that. One such race takes place in a ...
|
|
With all the bad news out there it’s a relief to find a story with a happy ending. A palomino gelding named Ranchero went through the windshield of a car and tried to exit through a side window. Ranchero suffered from some bad cut ...
|
|
Santa Anita Park can’t shake scrutiny, and now, after three horses have died after one weekend questions are being asked again. Two horses shattered pasterns during racing and one was euthanized after an unspecified injury during ...
|
|
Amid the frightening chaos and rush taking place as the Australian wildfires are being fought is a calming sound that helps both horses and humans. A woman transitioning from professional life as a doctor to retirement is offering ...
|
|
After years of controversy the city of Montreal, Quebec, caleches, the quaint carriage rides through the historic city are banned as of January 1, 2020. The tourist districts will no longer hear the familiar clip clop of hooves as ...
|
|
Last fall we posted a story about a news documentary exploring the route from race track to slaughter house in Australia. Jockeys, trainers, owners and others in the industry were shocked by the revelations of cruelty and the ulti ...
|
|
|
