Ultrasound of a horse eye showing a cataract

One of the horses at Gusty Wind Acres Riding School has a condition called uveitis which is more commonly called "moon blindness". Uveitis is an inflammation of the uveall tract of the eye. The problem is that it tends to flare up repeatedly through out a horse's life and it can ultimately cause the retina of the eye to detach and complete blindness to occur. A horse who has this condition is very sensitive to light especially sunlight. The Ultraviolet Rays in the sunlight can cause "flare ups". So horses with this condition should either be kept out of the sunlight or should wear special fly masks (Guardian Fly Masks) that have circles that protect the eye from rubbing and provide ultraviolet light protection. They are available at www.horseflymask.com. Bute is commonly given to prevent the inflammation in the eye.



Horses with Uveitis are prone to cataracts. This horse has 1 cataract in each eye. This photo was taken at the Fox Run Equine Center where Dr. Burks did an ultrasound of her eye. If you click on the photo you can see where the cataract is. This photo is of the ultrasound as it was shown on the screen of the ultrasound machine. This article is purely for educational use and was not written by a vet. Please do not depend on it for decision making purposes, but consult your vet if your horse is having eye problems. Thanks to the horse owner for allowing this photo to be taken.