8/12/10

Horses with large, lovely eyes

A number of years ago, my (very) brief flirtation with the Sport Of Kings came to a quick end. Aside from my near pathological aversion to risk, I failed to heed any of the sage advice provided by Robert Nastanovich, instead opting for the somewhat less scientific method of hanging around the paddock ( Laying Autumn Profits). If a horse appeared lethargic and/or bat-shit crazy, I tended to discount his or her chances.

If you notice this, call a veterinarian to examine the horse. He or she can find out if there is an ulcer and how deep it is, which determines what medication is used.
Horses with eye injuries may not want their head to be touched. To perform an examination, a veterinarian usually sedates the horse or blocks the injured eye with a local anesthetic. Often a fluorescent stain is used to determine how deep the injury penetrated into the cornea.
This is especially useful for horses with conditions that take weeks to heal and do not like having their eye medicated.