From an evolutionary perspective, all equines are prey animals and, as such, their sight has evolved to provide an almost panoramic field of vision, in part by positioning the eyes high up on the head in a prominent position. One consequence of this is that they become particularly vulnerable to trauma and injury. Combined with the widespread presence of fencing, hedging and all manner of protruding objects in the immediate environment where horses are commonly kept, dealing with ocular injuries is a common activity in equine veterinary practice. All eye injuries should be considered as an emergency and should be assessed and treated promptly by a veterinary surgeon. Chris Lehrbach BVMS MVM Cert ES (Orth) MRCVS covers some of the more common types of injury to the eyeball and associated structures surrounding the eye within the December edition.
