Inflamed (dirty) eyes in horses

Especially in the summer period, many horses have dirty eyes, often full of flies. This can sometimes become so extreme that inflammation occurs and a lot of gunk comes out of the eye. Never take a risk with eyes and call for timely help from a veterinarian. However, you can help your horse by cleaning the eyes.

How do dirty eyes develop?

Dirty eyes usually occur due to flies, dust, or an allergic reaction. There is then no inflammation of the eye itself, but of the mucous membrane. This kind of irritation is also called conjunctivitis or fly eye. Depending on the severity, the horse has red mucous membranes and watery to pus-like discharge.

Flies like to sit in the corners of the horse's eye because the moisture that keeps the eyes moist contains protein. This protein is food for the flies. Due to all those flies, the eye becomes slightly inflamed, causing even more protein to come into the fluid and attracting more flies to the eyes.

How to heal inflamed eyes?

Depending on the severity of the inflammation, you can help the horse yourself, but in severe cases, we recommend consulting a veterinarian.

You could help the horse with chamomile. Make tea from organic chamomile and let it cool down. Use a clean cotton pad to clean the horse's eyes several times a day. Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps to gently heal the eyes.

How to prevent inflamed eyes in your horse?

Especially in the summer period when it is very dusty and there are many flies, horses are more likely to have inflamed eyes. During this period, using a well-fitting fly mask may be recommended. Horses often find this very pleasant and stand much calmer than without a fly mask.

You also see horses that have the opportunity to stay indoors often choose to do so, as there are fewer flies there. However, it is important to keep the immune system strong. The better the resistance of your horse, the better it can deal with the occurrence of inflammations.