How to Protect the Blind Eye of a Horse During Shipping

Thoughtful, thorough preparation can help ensure a safe and comfortable ride for your horse, even if your horse is partially blind.

Horses may go blind in one eye for reasons such as disease, glaucoma, cataracts, injury and congenital defects. While horses do quite well adapting to being blind in one eye (especially if they are given time to adjust), trailering presents its own set of challenges. Because the horse will be in an enclosed space, you will want to make sure you take measures to protect the blind eye---and the whole horse---during the shipping process.

Things You'll Need

• fly mask
• tools

Instructions

1. Make sure the trailer is safe. Check the inside of your trailer for any sharp edges. Make sure that any hooks, pipes and other protruding objects are inaccessible to the horse.

2. Clean your trailer. Remove all manure and debris from previous rides and scatter fresh shavings or straw. Lightly wetting the shavings will help reduce dust.

3. Put a fly mask on your horse. This will help protect his eyes from bugs, debris and any lingering dust in the trailer. Some fly masks provide protection from ultraviolet rays.

4. Use patience and caution while loading your horse. A horse who is blind in one eye may need extra time to decide the trailer is OK to enter. He may be more spooky than usual.

Tips & Warnings

• A companion horse may help the blind horse feel more secure and confident in the loading and shipping process. He may be more calm and therefore less likely to injure himself. Some blind horses will load into a trailer better when blindfolded. Before the day you actually need to trailer your horse, load him a number of times so that he becomes familiar and confident with the process. He will have the opportunity to feel out the inside of the trailer and you won't need to rush.

• If your horse is newly blind, he may be nervous and agitated. If shipping becomes a major issue for your horse, you may need to consult a veterinarian on the possibility of sedating the horse for his safety and yours. If your horse comes off the trailer with injury to either eye, consult your veterinarian right away.

References

• The Horse
• Blind Horses