Understanding eye conditions in horses: causes and first aid

A horse can get a swollen eye from bumping it against a tree, shaking its head to keep flies away, or even snake venom

- Dr Mac

My groom phoned me to say that one of our elderly Arabian broodmares had a swollen eye when she came in from the pasture. He sent a photograph from his cell phone.

Providing affordable cell phones and airtime to grooms is an innovation not mentioned much in the advice given to horse owners. It’s very useful when the owner lives or works far away from the farm.

Horses come in from the pasture in the late afternoon or go out to pasture in the morning, just before schools open. That is when the groom gets to see problems that need attention. A cell phone is also useful after-hours in an emergency when there is a veld fire near the farm or an attempted break-in by criminals.