It was fun as a kid, but it’s not so great now.

As we age, we don’t see like we used to. It’s hard at first to accept this. For the longest time I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t read the menu in Taco Bell. I kept blaming the curved signs for me not being able to read them. Then one day I walked in with my driving glasses on, and wow! it wasn’t the sign. When I went to get my eyes checked a few years before, the doctor asked if I could see while I was driving. I said sure, I can see just fine. He asked how I knew I was seeing fine. Good question.

So when I notice horses snorting at things that never bothered them before, the question came up, can they see?

Usually when they get cataracts, changing from the light to the dark or dark to the light bothers them. They come into the light and start blinking.

With the new horse that came in a couple of weeks ago, the owner warned me that he didn’t see well. He’s only 14, so I did have my doubts. She told me that he wouldn’t go into a dark stall. Well she was right. You have to put the light on, or once he trusts you, he will follow you in, but he will not enter it by himself. He will also not enter the lean to in the dark. He cannot find his way through the gate. Once he’s in there and has to come out, it scares him and he will bolt and hit his hips on the 6 x 6 on the way out.

Are you paying attention to your horses eye sight? It’s funny. At the eye specialist I bring my dog to, he has an eye chart for dogs. Instead of letters, it has a dog house, a hydrant, a cat, dog bone, ball, and various things that dogs love. Of course they don’t read it, but it is cute.

As far as horses go, I guess it could have a carrot, apple, bucket of grain, or whatever you could imagine. The thing is, they can’t use it either. So it’s up to us to be aware of when their eye sight starts to fail. You can’t beat them for being afraid of something they can’t identify. They can’t help it. You have to ask yourself – is he afraid, is he yanking my chain, or is his sight failing?

Please be aware and understanding of their needs because of failing eye sight. You may be there someday too. Of course we have the option of glasses, they don’t.