# eye?



## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Perfectly normal, and no it doesn't mean that he is part appaloosa. What you are seeing is the sclera which is white in that eye and dark in the other.


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

So its fine? It doesnt bother him at all? it doesnt seem to, he just looks very odd with two different eyes haha


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Yeah he's fine, any breed of horse can have pronounced white sclera. All it is is a lack of black pigment in that particular area. You might want to keep a casual eye on it to make sure it doesn't change at all but that's my paranoid mind talking.

You think your horse looks odd, you should see mine... Satin has one partly-blue eye. Her eyes are brown except for that blue part.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

It doesn't need any more watching than any other eye. It is the exact same area that is white in the human eye. Horse just tend to have that area dark tinted. It has nothing to do with if there is something wronng with the horse or eye. 

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

wonder why appies are more prone to moon blindness (periodic opthalmia) than any other breed of horse then? it's either something to do with the eye (and white sclera is considered an appy trait), or something to do with the immune system (if my understanding of the condition is correct, it's the immune system attacking the eyes?)

might not be the case in the USA but it is sure the case here in aussie-land, according to my research. One of the many reasons why, though I absolutely love their spotting, I don't think I'll ever have an appy.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

The sclera has nothing to do with the eyesight issues within appaloosas. That is connected to the spotting genes. The sclera is not.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

oh ok. so basically I want to avoid anything with spots if I want to reduce the chances of ending up with a horse with PO. bummer. (there go my dreams of a blanket-spotted eventer lol)


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Faceman or bubba would be better able to explain the connect of LP and PATN with moonblindness. 

All I have to say on that is you have take each horse as it comes and not condemn a whole breed because of this.


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

NdAppy said:


> The sclera has nothing to do with the eyesight issues within appaloosas. That is connected to the spotting genes. The sclera is not.


Yeah, but "everybody knows" if you can see the sclera in a non-Appy, the horse is wild and crazy...:rofl:


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

Haha ok thanks everyone. I want an apaloosa one day..


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

One of my customer horses has the exact same thing, one dark eye and one with a visible sclera and she's a registered QH. It is absolutely nothing to worry about. I think I heard somewhere that it is tied to the gene that gives them their facial and leg markings. Don't quote me on that though because I'm not sure, it's just something I heard and it makes sense.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

What smrobs says DOES make sense as there is a theory that any white on any horse is caused by a pinto gene of some form or another... some of them of course have a lot higher expression than others and we all know how much pinto patterns can vary in expression... from none at all to LOUD and almost totally white, yet still genetically pinto/paint.

I do believe that certain pinto genes DO cause white sclera as apparently it is common in paint horses.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

OP i know that you said his eye has been like this for awhile. Have you had the vet looks at it? It looks to be inflamed and weepy. (not talking about the sclera, but the pink in the front corner of the eye).


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