# what are "pig eyes" ?



## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

my gelding apparently comes from a line with so called "pig eyes" which is apparently a distinct trait from two eyed jack 1961, one of the 4th gen. on his pedigree. 

im not sure i understand what they look like or what they mean when its said he has pig eyes.

sounds insulting to me lol


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

It's a conformational flaw, so of course isn't a flattering term.

When a horse has 'pig eyes' it means its eyes are very small in relation to the size of its head. A horse's eyes should be fairly large and take up a good portion of its skull.

Based on that picture, I'd say your horse is pig eyed.


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

oh okay, i thought they were refering to the shape or inset or something. i got it now, sad day my poor guy is flawed lol its ok hes a good horse, thank you!


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

My big guy has pig eyes. When I first got him I just noticed he didn't have a big soft eye but didn't think much of it. I was too enamored by the rest of him.

It's funny because he is so rock steady and actually very very affectionate. Which I never associated with a pig eyed horse. LOL


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

****!! no that is the other gelding, the good one. this has been a big confusion lately, because i dont have photos or even post about the holy terror until yesterday i had a couple questions. 

the holy terror is a grey gelding. 
this is my main man, hes got a few things he needs to work on still but he is overall a very friendly, behaved (for the most part lol), willing to learn and please horse. hes a pretty good boy, unlike the grey.


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

Jake and Dai said:


> My big guy has pig eyes. When I first got him I just noticed he didn't have a big soft eye but didn't think much of it. I was too enamored by the rest of him.
> 
> It's funny because he is so rock steady and actually very very affectionate. Which I never associated with a pig eyed horse. LOL


yeah, when i first got steel (the dun) i didnt even notice his eye in that way, I did think he had almost a longer looking face but didnt refer it to the eye size, now that i see what pig eyed means thats probably why his face looks longer in a way. 

i dont really know the general personality traits of a pig eyed horse, but steel is very friendly, kind and affectionate as well and is very willing to learn and do as you ask, hes always trying to figure out what you want or little things. very very smart boy.


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

what makes a pig eyed horse have different like personality traits or something? or a difference in his communication or whatever having pig eyes could affect?


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

AlottaBitCountry said:


> i dont really know the general personality traits of a pig eyed horse, but steel is very friendly, kind and affectionate as well and is very willing to learn and do as you ask, hes always trying to figure out what you want or little things. very very smart boy.


Honestly? I don't know the personality traits of a pig eyed horse, or even if there are any because we all know, horses are all individuals. I was just totally generalizing based on something I maybe sort of heard, or just made up. HAHAHAHAHAHA


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

Jake and Dai said:


> Honestly? I don't know the personality traits of a pig eyed horse, or even if there are any because we all know, horses are all individuals. I was just totally generalizing based on something I maybe sort of heard, or just made up. HAHAHAHAHAHA


 
hahaha, it happens! i just was like wait, the eyes can make a difference in a horses behavior/personality/communication etc? lol 

sometimes i make things up and dont realize it, then i cant recal if i heard it somewhere or just made it up on my own or what hahaha.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Honestly? Other than looks and the way one might feel about a small-eyed horse, can anyone really assign personality charactistics to a physical flaw, or what is considered a flaw? 
Poor things...out there all dejected and unwanted. Sad really. What are all those pig-eyed horses going to do?
Truthfully, It might not be the most pleasant horse to look at but if it was the best horse for my purpose (which is not showing or breeding) that fault would not keep me from buying one.


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## Ponies (Aug 18, 2012)

Ive personally liked how some pig eyed horses looked.. dunno why. lol.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

I call it the 'beady eye'.....love it!


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

The only time I've heard a horse called pig eyed was an appy (sorry appy fans), because his eye appeared small and had a white ring. Person referred to the horse as a Pig Eyed Appy and said it was a breed trait. I wouldn't call the horse in this thread pig eyed based on that definition.


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

yeah the only time until now ive heard someone call him pig eyed, was from my trainer friend who said he was pig eyed and i asked what pig eyed meant and he said havent you ever seen pig eyes before, look at a pigs eyes and youll know what i mean... to be honest, i cant really even tell the difference in horses eyes for the most part, except my mare has huge eyes, i always thought steels were like just medium, or like regular with a little longer face was all. 

and yes i looked at pigs eyes on pigs and i see no resemblence ****!


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I don't think it is reasonable to attribute any personality traits to a "pig eye" any more than you can say all blue eyed people are "prettier" or brown eyed people are more "sensitive". People have large eyes, it doesn't make them any different than people with smaller eyes.

I don't think "pig eyes" are a CONFORMATION fault....they are simply a visual fault with some people. There is no deficit with small eyes, which is what constitutes a *conformation* fault.

I have had great horses with smaller eyes and, while I love a big soft eye, I would never dismiss a horse just for having smaller eyes.


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## AlottaBitCountry (Aug 11, 2012)

Allison Finch said:


> I don't think it is reasonable to attribute any personality traits to a "pig eye" any more than you can say all blue eyed people are "prettier" or brown eyed people are more "sensitive". People have large eyes, it doesn't make them any different than people with smaller eyes.
> 
> I don't think "pig eyes" are a CONFORMATION fault....they are simply a visual fault with some people. There is no deficit with small eyes, which is what constitutes a *conformation* fault.
> 
> I have had great horses with smaller eyes and, while I love a big soft eye, I would never dismiss a horse just for having smaller eyes.


good point indeed lol


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Some people believe that horses with pig eyes do not have as full a field of vision as horses with larger eyes (which may be the case in extreme cases, but not likely in horses like OP's). The limited vision theoretically causes those horses to be jumpy, nervous, stubborn, or unpredictable.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I read an article in a horse magazine a long, long time ago about pig eyed horses, which by the way, those two horses posted are not that bed. It was thought to be a fault because the horse couldn't see as well & believed to spook more, and couple that will big ears, can hear more, see less, spook more. The article didn't say it was true, just that it was belief at one time.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I think small eyes would have to be freakish before they would make that big a difference in their vision, just based on anatomy of the horse's skull. But, people will believe what they will believe....and if it is in written word, it becomes gospel, IME.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

I dont think that horse has small eyes. Compared to the Spainish arabians that I have been looking at and the one her all other breeds have small eyes.
Shalom


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