A rescue pony is adjusting to a new way of life after having his eye removed following an accident.
Back in February of this year, Welsh cob Ginge severely injured his eye in his field; it’s not known how the injury happened, but it’s thought he may have come into contact with a sharp twig while foraging in the hedgerow.
The injury was causing him significant pain and after not responding to treatment, the Bransby Horses’ veterinary team decided the best course of action would be to remove the eye under general anaesthetic to prevent him suffering further.
The team that looked after Ginge were unsure how he would respond to the treatment, as he can be a challenging pony to handle due to his life before rescue, particularly when injections are involved.
Bransby Horses’ vet, Emma Tune, said: “Ginge’s operation took a couple of hours and all went well. He was a very good patient and it was so lovely to see how much more comfortable he was as soon as his damaged eye was removed.
“I’ve been monitoring him regularly while he has been treated with pain relief and antibiotics and I’m happy to report that his surgical wound has healed really well. Ginge has definitely taken it all in his stride and is back to being his cheeky self with his group of adoring mares.”
The 13-hands-high gelding has been at Bransby Horses for a number of years and the charity’s equine handlers have worked hard to help him overcome his fears.
Team Leader at Ginge’s yard, Rosie Hamer, said: “He has been such a good boy. We didn’t know how he was going to react, but we had no option but to operate on his eye. The fact that he has been so good I think shows that he knew we were helping him.”
Rosie added that instead of a bandage over Ginge’s eye, they used a facemask with a special eye patch built-in, which worked much better for him, and he is now happily back in his field.
Ginge has adapted quite well to life with one eye and has even become easier to handle since the surgery.
It is important to Bransby Horses that we give equines a good quality of life and make sure all fencing and shelters are safe. Whilst equines are checked twice a day and paddocks daily, we understand we cannot remove all risks and will work to resolve situations like this as quickly as possible.
Equine Eye Removal Surgery – The Facts:
- The surgical removal of a horse’s eye is called enucleation.
- There are many reasons why this surgery would be performed, including trauma, infection, or any condition causing pain in a blind eye, including cancer.
- Eye removal surgery is often more concerning for the owner than the horse. The horse experiences very little pain and usually adapts quickly to having one eye.
- Many performance horses go back to full and successful careers following eye removal surgery.
- Training and dealing with a one-eyed horse is much the same as training one with two, but the handler must keep in mind their equine has a blind side.
