Elderly horses

[Tashalburrows]

We have a 27 year old welsh cross who is the love of our life. He doesn't act his age at all and is in fantastic condition for his age and still in work.

He was clipped today and had a meltdown when the lady clipping him put her hand across his face. She wasn't sure if maybe his eyesight is going a little ?

Does anybody have any experience with older ponies and eyesight ? I've booked the vet to come out and give him a full mot but he can't come till next week. He's also got a wobbly tooth which is coming out at the same time on the same side and I wasn't sure if that maybe had something to do with it.

He's been the same normal lovely pony he normally is and has now got two worried sick mums worried about him x

Were you there when he had the meltdown? Could it have been because she startled him rather than an eyesight problem? TBH I'd think you'd have noticed if his eyesight wasn't as it should be.

I wouldn't worry until you've had the vet out.

My old horse had cataracts in one eye and was really good no problems at all. She did also get an abscess under a tooth on the same side and the whole side of her face was so sensitive and sore she would go crazy if a stranger touched that side. Once the abscess was treated she was fine. Although still blind on one side. I wouldn’t worry until the vet has seen him and sorted the tooth and assessed his sight.

My mare has cataracts too. She started getting a bit spooky at not very bright things, yet would still walk past bright things without batting an eye. Once we understood and reassured her it's not been an issue.

It could be a hearing problem too, he may not have noticed her move until he saw it, whereas he may previously have heard it first..

My boy had bilateral cataracts too and got a bit spooky and uncertain in new places or with unexpected things. We had to warn him verbally when we were moving around him or approaching him.
I do eyes for a living - cataracts reduce your general level of vision, so there will be blur, but they also reduce your contrast sensitivity so you will struggle to discern shades of grey. High contrast, black and white things might stay relatively normal but shadows and dim conditions can become difficult, so sudden movements become harder to identify and more alarming. Another cataract side effect is glare; difficulty seeing in bright conditions and also increased sensitivity to small changes in brightness, so he might need a bit more time to adapt.

Have a look in the pupil of his eye in some good lighting. You will see cataracts if he has them as a milky appearance behind the pupil.