# The Blue Eye Myth



## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

I have two blue eyed horses. My stallion does fine in all ways but he does have black "eyeliner" around his eyes. My mare does not have this eyeliner and therefore needs a fly mask on during the day and cannot be ridden on extremely sunny days. My best friends horse also doesn't have the eye liner and has had vet treatments for the beginnings of cancer in her eyes .
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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

I love blue eyes, we always called them "glass" eyes growing up! My paint had a blue eye and he never had any problems. And, we get a lot of sun down here. You could always put a fly mask on if you're concerned about it.


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## slowlopin (May 23, 2011)

ya! i mean do they stuggle with more blindness issues? or like eye diseases? Its hard to tell cause some peoples don't but some people say they do? hard to tell with rumors and people these days! I also do ALOT of out door shows and was wondering if in the sun all day he'd be good ? I mean i know every horse is different but its worth asking!


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

This is what I'm saying about the "eye liner":

My stallion who has a natural eyeliner









My mare who does not have "eye liner"









My best friends blue eyed mare (no "eye liner" on a sunny day):









Her mare tends to squint constantly in the sunlight and her eyes will water profusely due to the sun in them. My mare will do fine on partly sunny days but when the full sun is out she will literally close her eyes and refuse to move if I'm riding. In the summer she will rarely even leave her lean to and prefers to do her grazing at night. I would never buy a blue eyed horse without eye liner again.

Also per her vet horses with blue eyes and no eye liner are much more susceptible to cancer of the eye and eventual blindness since they have nothing to block or reflect the sun off of their eyes.


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

I had a mare who had two blue eyes but her blaze didn't extend out to her eyes so she had sorrel hair around them haha if that makes sense. She also had "eyeliner". I never had any problems with her out in the sun nor did I *have* to keep a fly mask on her. 

The biggest somewhat freaky difference I saw with blue eyes was since she had a darker ring of blue inside a much much lighter blue ring of her eye I could see exactly where she was looking and it was more noticible to she her move her eyes around. Was kind of cool actually haha
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## slowlopin (May 23, 2011)

I appreciate all the posts! Its really helpful! 
poco1220: thanks for the help and pictures! makes totally sense and thank God I looked over his pictures and the gelding I am getting has eye liner!  which made me happy after finding that out lol your horses are gorgeous!

Zeke: Really? the gelding I am getting is the same way and its sorrel around his eyes too! lol thanks for the help!


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## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

Having his sorrel color around his eyes, or essentially not having a bald face, should make it much easier for him. With bald faces the light reflects much more on the white hair up into the eyes. Good luck with your new guy! Just keep an eye on how he might react in the sun. If he's in the pasture 24/7 or a snowy pasture I would fly mask him to be on the safe side but see how he does your vet can always advise you as well.
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## PaintLover17 (Jan 3, 2011)

My mare has two blue eyes also. One is on white fur with pink skin while the other is on dark fur and skin. Her eye with the dark fur has no problems at all, but the other one constantly runs and she squints in direct sunlight. I always keep a flymask with UV protection on her when she's in the sun. They also make UV flymasks that you can attatch to a bridle. At my mares PPE the vet checked both her eyes for cancer as blue eyed horses are prone to it, especially on pink skin. I recently noticed that my mare is already developing a cataracts (she's only 12) on her pink-skinned eye. This is also very common in blue-eyed horses. Blue eyes are gorgeous on horses an will earn you lots of complements at shows!
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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Put your fears to rest. Our lead mare, Angel, a 17 year old bay tobiano, has two blue eyes (fairly unusual) and no problems at all with the sun (or anything else).
She does freak some people out, though, when she stares at them ;-)


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## highlander (Oct 26, 2008)

hopefully this a picture of riley who's got one eye thats half blue half brown, he's never had any eye problem. he's got a very strong blue eye! :shock:


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## highlander (Oct 26, 2008)

sorry i meant to put this picture up! excuse the small child, she's a friends daughter.


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## slowlopin (May 23, 2011)

awe what a cute horse! thanks for the advice/help! I had been around quite a few blue eyed horses but you know how it is when your going to purchase 
glad to hear you all have had some luck with blue eyed horses!
thanks!!


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Blue eyes don't cause any medical problems.

If the skin around the eye is pink, it can burn... just like pink skin on the nose.

Blue eyes are more sensitive to sunlight, but that doesn't cause any problems. It just means things look brighter to them. Same with people.


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