# Tattooing a horses eye?



## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

So I found this ad on Craiglist Tattoo horse's eye

Just in case it gets deleted...

"I need someone to tattoo my horse's one eye. She has one blue eye with light color around it that sunburns and is sensitive to the snow glare. Also prevents risk of cancer and cateracts. My vet is willing to sedate her at his clinic. I'm looking for someone with expirence, own steril equipment, and willing to travel to my vet's clinic. Please email me with your backround and price, thanks 








"

Has anyone else heard of this or done it before? Is it actually good for the horse? This peaks my curiosity lol


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## ArabianAllie (Oct 3, 2010)

I saw this somewhere too. I think on animal planet. But yes, it keeps the blue eyes from absorbing to much sun and getting cancerous... or something like that. Those people should call the local tattoo parlors that do permanent makeup and have the vet out at the same time to sedate.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

How do registries feel about it? Is it something they don't allow? Since it's kind of altering the horses appearance?


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Yep, there is actually a cosmotologist that does that around here. The vet sedates them, then she does permanate tattoo on their eyelids. alot like permanate eye liner. works great.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I've also heard about it being done, though I am unsure how I feel about it. I don't know whether I would be willing to risk the dangers of the tattoo instead of just going through the hassle of keeping dark grease-paint around the eye....

But, seeing as how I am not fond of the appearance of horses with white around their eyes, I will likely never have to worry about it.


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## AllegroAdante (Sep 28, 2008)

Couldn't they just keep a fly mask on her?


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

You can, but it can become a bit of a hassle when riding, showing, etc.


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## Samstead (Dec 13, 2011)

Haven't heard of it but you can get YOUR eyes tattooed the ink is injected into a certain mucus membrane I the white of your eye...not sure about the process for a horses eye though


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

APHA I know has approved it. You just have to take new photos and add the markings to their registration papers. 

The mare I just sold, had I decided to keep her would have needed this done. She couldn't hardly function in sunlight or during the winter when sun would reflect off of snow since it was so harsh on her eyes. Keeping a fly mask on during riding/showing just isn't feasible and if she didn't have one on she would just stand still with her eyes closed the entire time or they'd be watering and in pain.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Sam- I originally thought someone wanted a tattoo of their horses eye on their body, then I thought they meant onto the actual eyeball of the horse, then I realized its just around the eye. 

Interesting learning about new things like this.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I saw something about tattooing the eye on animal planet a while back. My leopard appy looks like he may have been tattooed, Looking at the one pic he's got a black line under his eye. Now I'm going to have to look closer at it tomorrow, maybe take a picture and post it. I don't have any up close pics of his eye.


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## lubylol (Aug 8, 2011)

Some horses are born with this right? I'm not just going crazy....because Ally had this on her eye but it was perfect. She was born on the farm and I think the lady would have called me crazy having brought this up...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

i am thinking about this for my Paint gelding, he has one blue and one partial blue eye, plus has a apron face and pink skin. we do keep a fly mask on him but it goes to his nose and when it is on his nose/muzzle he sneeses and it bugs him so ive been thinking about it but im not sure about it. but he does tear up alot.


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## LuckyRVT (Nov 4, 2011)

Def a good idea. helps protect the eye from bright light. and in higher altitudes from Pannus which can cause blindness. :-( its common in german shephard dogs but can effect horses


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Its no different that having permanent eyeliner tattooed on your own eyelids. They are not injecting anything into the white of the eye or the eye itself, its the lids that are being tattooed with ink.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

lubylol said:


> Some horses are born with this right? I'm not just going crazy....because Ally had this on her eye but it was perfect. She was born on the farm and I think the lady would have called me crazy having brought this up...
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Born with "eyeliner" markings? Yeah, my gelding has one eye-lined eye naturally and I knew a mare who had both eyes naturally (we called them Egyptian eyes.)


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

*Horse eye tattoo.*



Bridgertrot said:


> How do registries feel about it? Is it something they don't allow? Since it's kind of altering the horses appearance?


 I was the one who posted on craigslist. Apha is fine with the eye tattooing.You have to send an updated picture to them is all. I have done lots of research about this. CSU in Colorado did this on 28 horses, all but two hosres showed les eye problems and no cancer of the eyelid.I did contact Csu about a price. 1800.00 for one eye. WOWEE. I didn't even pay that for the horse. So far I have found someone who has tattooed dog's eye's, and is willing to go to my vets office. I'm looking to get it done this month.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

AllegroAdante said:


> Couldn't they just keep a fly mask on her?


I used a fly mask when not being rode. Doesn't help when you ride all day. Durring the winter months when the frost gets heavy it frosts over the mask to almost zero visabilty.


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## 2SCHorses (Jun 18, 2011)

We have an all white Jack Russell and he was getting sunburn on his eyes and the vet was worried he would develop cancer, so we had his eyes tattooed. He is MUCH happier in the sunshine and we haven't had any more sunburn, runny eyes, or had to put on his 'doggles' which he always managed to take off in 2 seconds! He looks like a football player now! We still use sunscreen on his ears and a bit on his nose, but he is way happier.

I don't know anyone who has had a horse done, but if I did have a horse with pink around the eyes, I would probably do it as I did with our dog seeing how much better he is.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Most dark horses have 'eyeliner' naturally, and Arabians as a whole tend to have it, even the grays.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

chaseranya said:


> I was the one who posted on craigslist. Apha is fine with the eye tattooing.You have to send an updated picture to them is all. I have done lots of research about this. CSU in Colorado did this on 28 horses, all but two hosres showed les eye problems and no cancer of the eyelid.I did contact Csu about a price. 1800.00 for one eye. WOWEE. I didn't even pay that for the horse. So far I have found someone who has tattooed dog's eye's, and is willing to go to my vets office. I'm looking to get it done this month.


Hope you didnt mind me posting it. I just thought it was interesting. I actually go to CSU studying equine science so it's cool to see and hear about the research projects. Holy cow that's pricy!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

not affended at all. i found this forum by googling more reserch about tattooing my horse. so thanks for that. i would love to use csu, but who can afford that price. i'm looking at maximum 250. and my own vet will be there. might float her teeth if she needs it.lol


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

It would be cool if you posted some before and after pics as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

I deffinatly will


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## Shenandoah (Aug 9, 2010)

AllegroAdante said:


> Couldn't they just keep a fly mask on her?


We have one horse at our farm who has problems with sunburn and other sensitivities (allergic to just about everything).
He has many fly masks. One is put on after every meal, yet it's always missing by the time he comes in for the next meal. Every couple days they have to go walking the field for his masks.

Often the barn manager watches him walk out from a meal, go straight to the fence, and pull it off.
They've tried everything to keep them on - different types of masks, different tightnesses, halters over the top... nothing works. He gets out of every one.


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## NeuroticMare (Jan 8, 2012)

My mare has this issue with the pink around her eye.

I discussed the tattooing with my vet and with an acquaintance who had it done on her gelding. I decided not to do it, and here's why.

I wanted to do it to protect my mare from the sun/cancer. It actually does not do this, it will help with sunburn slightly, but not from the chance of cancer (or there have been no studies showing that it has helped with this.

My friend who had it done, had to have it repeated/touched up several times the first few years, and it has faded again, only 4 years later. She wishes she hadn't done it because there has been no benefit (horse still needs the flymask, etc) except it's been very expensive and makes her boy sore.

I do not use a flymask on mine anymore, I board at a barn where she is turned out in a shady pasture during the day, and she's in at night.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

what is the risk to the eye is the needle goes to far in?? I would not do it for risk of blindness


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

They aren't tattooing the eyeball, but the skin surrounding the eye. Plus, tattoo needles cannot go in far enough to cause actual damage to underlying tissue.


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## lucky2008 (Aug 17, 2010)

here is a video i found:


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Wow, interesting.


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## CCH (Jan 23, 2011)

It is very interesting, but I would never have it done to any of my bald-faced babies. I can buy a lot of flymasks and sunscreen for the fees. After watching the video, I certainly wouldn't have it done without the supervision and care of a vet who can provide the proper anesthesia & pain meds, so I'm glad whoever posted the ad seeking a tattooist is going to do it at her vet's office.

As an aside, Dr. Ismay (spelled wrong on the video) is an amazing vet and extremely skilled surgeon. He saved my horse's life by performing a colic surgery that other vets probably would not have had the confidence/skill/knowledge to do. I'm also fairly positive he co-invented the surgery for removal of the interhyoideus to prevent cribbing.


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

This is a product I am going to be trying on Sky. It's called My Pony Sun Block and it's a powder you can use either dry or wet, and is completely safe to use around eyes. It was recommended to me by my vet when Sky was sunburned and the burn got infected. I've attached a picture of what that did to her poor face. This is not a well known product, but the people who do use it swear by it. I haven't found a bad word about it yet. Even though it's made right here in AZ, I can't seem to find it anywhere, so will probably have to order it online. Sky hates the smell and probably taste of the baby sun block I am currently using, so I'm pretty excited about trying this.
https://myponysunblock.com/Home_Page.html


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

That is so ingenious! I have always loved a "mascara" eye, this way ensures a bald/white faced horse has one.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I heard that it actually doesn't help that much. If you put black grease around their eyes it will help or a fly mask. My horse is a bald face paint.She has brown eyes though. She burns easily so what I do is I live her fly mask on 24/7...I leave it off in the winter but I do check to see if her eyes are getting aggitated.


and plue I have grown to love my baldy to where I wouldn't want to have black around her eyes. I just go the extra step to put sunblock,desitin,fly masks on...whatever I need to do.Not a lot of horses have bald faces so I like to keep her fresh faced. She doesn't need makeup to be beautiful =D


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## Horsel02 (Jan 6, 2010)

My paint with natural eyeliner on both eyes. It took me awhile to get to it but know I love the look.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

Horsel02 your horse is sooooo beautiful.
I also love my baldies. The pink colored eye on my mare has grown on me. Honestly I would rather spend the money on a tattoo for myself, but most of the reserch I've done has shown positive results.
I've done the masks. Where I live there is lots of trucks stirring up dust, that gets traped inside the mask. My personal eyeliner works best. Even that is a daily thing, also I worry about is running in her eye when she gets wet.
Eye make up actully goes way back to the egyptians and aztecs. They wore it to protect thier eyes from the sun and glare as well.This goes for men as well.








I' hoping with it being perminant it will be less fuss all around. I do know that at first it's gonna be sore and needing alot of attention for the first two weeks, but in the long run I'm hoping she can be a normal horse.


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## Nitefeatherz (Jan 23, 2012)

If you have ANY kind of tattooing done make sure to check out the references and qualifications of whoever does the tattoos.

There was a man in my area doing veterinary tattooing. He even showed up with a booth at local shows and advertised with a book of tattoos that he had done (both people and animals.) Turns out that he had NEVER tattooed before, that the photos and the equipment he was working with weren't his but borrowed from someone else, and was an "apprentice" moonlighting without the expert he was working with. 

When I ran into him he was being escorted out from the show I was at as he hadn't even asked to set up a booth- he just set up his stuff in an out of the way area and figured the show people wouldn't notice or complain. (Since they wanted to make sure he was legit they checked him out- but that was after he had already done several animals.)

I didn't get many details as we were heading into the show ring at the time- but I know that at least a few people suffered from complications as a result- I want to say that a few of the tattoos got infected? Not surprising since the guy wasn't legit to start with.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

Wow that's crazy. I actually got my refference from a vet. This guy has done many dogs, but never a horse. My appoinment is set for Monday the 30th.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Horse102, that mascara eye is so sought after. Your horse is spectacular.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

My Mercedes got her eye tattooed yersterday. Tell me what you think.Before









Just so you know I hardly slept the night before. I was so nervous. Almost backed out.


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## westerncowgurl (Jul 14, 2010)

i cant see the pics.
ive always thought about getting timmys eye tattoed he has 2 blue eyes and only one has eye liner. but the thought of it scares me  and the sun honestly doesnt seen to bug him his eyes dont water andi always watch him to see if he is squinting and he never is, but i always keep a fly mask on him in the summer hes good with keeping them on


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Yeah pics aren't working for me either.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

I don't know why you can't see the pictures. It shows them there for me. My horse was not tearing as bad as some, but enough. It was yellow and crusty. In colorado we get at least 300 days of sun. I wanted to help her. She does well with a mask, but I think that almost harder. It's like us wearing sunglasses, then taking them off.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

Before and after. Lets try this again.


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## westerncowgurl (Jul 14, 2010)

still not working for me :/


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

bummer guys. I don't know what else to do.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Did you try uploading them from your computer hard drive? On the reply page, if you click the little paperclip looking button, you can do that.

Or, you can upload them to a separate site like photobucket or flickr and copy and paste from there.


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## cowgirlupintexas (Jan 13, 2012)

I didn't read this entire thread but tattooing is done with dogs as well. Usually dogs with pink noses to prevent sunburn or skin cancer later in life.


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## mudpie (Jul 15, 2011)

People used to do it a lot, but I'm pretty sure the whole "prevent cancer" thing was disproved.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

This makes me so happy Cowboy has natural guy-liner.











And yes... He is wearing a wig.


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## paintluver (Apr 5, 2007)

^^Aww I missed Cowboy! Love the picture.
I had never heard about horses being tattooed like that before. Very interesting.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

I'm posting them again. Please tell me what you think.








They show up for me when I log back on to the forum.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Still nothing. You sure you uploading them correctly?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Do you have the pictures in an album and you're attaching them from there? Are you sure the album is set to "public"? 
That happened to someone else on here who was trying to post pictures. They had pictures in their HF album which happened to be set to private. They posted them but since the pictures were private, they could see the pictures but no one else could. Eventually it got all figured out. 

I'm dying to see! haha


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## VT Trail Trotters (Jul 21, 2011)

Interesting, think about it as football players and baseball players do with the black stuff under the eye.


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

trying this one more time. Pleae tell me what you think. Before and After.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Nothing


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## westerncowgurl (Jul 14, 2010)

ya still nothing


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)

Frustrating. I'm trying


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## chaseranya (Jan 6, 2012)




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## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

Robbie has some natural "winged eyeliner". He never had it when I first bought him 3 years ago...kind of developed by itself 2 summers ago haha.










But a couple of my friends have gotten it done to their horses that always get badly sunburnt around their eyes, they no longer get sunburnt now.


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

Try uploading through photobucket or tinypic. both generally work well =]

this is a really interesting thread, makes me thankful my tb is brown. but now i know when i get a paint to keep an eye on this thanks


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm really eager to see the before and after pics so hopefully you can get them up soon!


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