# Horse with one white sclera?



## SunnyDraco

I know a filly with one white sclera, I don't have any good pictures from the front that shows both eyes since she has a long thick forelock that covers one or both eyes. Her left eye has a white sclera and the right eye is the normal black. She was born this way and neither sire nor dam have any white scleras and have never produced foals before or since with white scleras so I do not know what can cause it. In the case of the filly I know, she is a purebred Arabian and a "human eye" is a breed fault.


----------



## mslady254

ummmmm, I thought all sclera is white. The term having a 'white sclera' to me means only that the white part of the eyeball shows on that horse. 

If you retracted the eyelids, wouldn't every horse have a white part that's just not normally visible because the lids ususally cover it. ?? Most horses only 'show' the pupil and Iris colors-black/brown or black/blue..rarely black/green. 
Some breeds, eg. Appy's commonly show the sclera(white) in one or both eyes. Most horses will retract their lids (open wide!) when alarmed, and show the 'whites if their eye'. It's one way to know your horse is concerned ,not relaxed. 

are ya'll saying that some horses have brown iris AND brown sclera??? 

(not arguing, just wanting to understand/learn)

Fay


----------



## SunnyDraco

mslady254 said:


> ummmmm, I thought all sclera is white. The term having a 'white sclera' to me means only that the white part of the eyeball shows on that horse.
> 
> If you retracted the eyelids, wouldn't every horse have a white part that's just not normally visible because the lids ususally cover it. ?? Most horses only 'show' the pupil and Iris colors-black/brown or black/blue..rarely black/green.
> Some breeds, eg. Appy's commonly show the sclera(white) in one or both eyes. Most horses will retract their lids (open wide!) when alarmed, and show the 'whites if their eye'. It's one way to know your horse is concerned ,not relaxed.
> 
> are ya'll saying that some horses have brown iris AND brown sclera???
> 
> (not arguing, just wanting to understand/learn)
> 
> Fay


Having a white sclera on a horse just means that it is always visible, in appys it is part of the breed while in Arabians it is a breed fault. It can also be referred to as a "human eye" because the eye looks more "human" having the white sclera visible. A horse having a white sclera makes them looked alarmed all the time. Talking about white scleras on horses isn't referring to them actually being alarmed and showing the white of their eyes.


----------



## Nokotaheaven

Huh, that's interesting that the filly you know SunnyDraco has it! And that's quite unusual, having a white sclera from parents who dont have any


----------



## SunnyDraco

Nokotaheaven said:


> Huh, that's interesting that the filly you know SunnyDraco has it! And that's quite unusual, having a white sclera from parents who dont have any


Here is a picture from when she was 3 months old, you can see her white sclera. Her right eye is dark like her dam and sire's eyes. Interesting though is that up until she was about two months old, both eyes were dark. The one with the white sclera wasn't always showing white. It slowly leaks fluid, the vet inspected it, gave some ointment for her eyes which helps with the "leaking" and said it doesn't effect her vision. Almost wonder if this is the result of getting dumped into a pile of dry manure instead of the lush straw that was available. Guess mommy thought she had to poop after breakfast and it was a bigger poop than she planned, have the entire birth on video including a nasty expression for the mouthful of manure she got pushed out in LOL


----------



## JCnGrace

This black mare had one eye with white sclera.


----------



## JCnGrace

You have to click on the picture so you get the full size and see it.


----------



## Yogiwick

As in the case of the Arab (what a cute foal!) it was likely some disease.

Looking at the link, that eye is smaller and squinted in the pictures. I'm guessing something happened, especially since she was born wild and not in the holding pens.

So as with the Arab I would consider it an injury or illness of some sort. If you are considering this horse I would be sure to have a vet take a look. There's more going on then just color.


----------



## cheyennemymare

I have a paint mare with one regular eye, and one with a white sclera. Actually, the mare is Cheyenne lol. Her mama is full bred appaloosa, and daddy was a sorrel QH. She turned out a sorrel paint with dots on her I don't have any pics, but I will get some on here today.


----------



## Zexious

JC--What a pretty mare <3 I just wish these pics were closer so it'd be a little easier to see Dx


----------



## NdAppy

cheyennemymare said:


> I have a paint mare with one regular eye, and one with a white sclera. Actually, the mare is Cheyenne lol. Her mama is full bred appaloosa, and daddy was a sorrel QH. She turned out a sorrel paint with dots on her I don't have any pics, but I will get some on here today.


Not possible. You mare is tobiano, AQHA and ApHC have no tobiano patterns within the registries. :wink:


----------



## JCnGrace

Thanks Zexious, she was a looker but is in horsey heaven now.


----------



## Lockwood

Nokotaheaven said:


> I've seen horses with both white scleras, and ones without white scleras, but I've never seen, much less heard, of one having only one white sclera...
> ..... Anyone else heard of something like this?


My horse.  
One white, one brown. 
Perfectly healthy eyes.


----------



## xxdanioo

My appy only has one eye with visible white scelra.


----------



## DuckDodgers

If I'm understanding what you're talking about correctly I think my QH falls in that category. Everything around his left eye is dark, but there's white around his right (I think) eye. He's never had any eye problems during the years I've had him. I'll try to find pics, but I'm not sure if I have any that you can see his eyes clearly...


----------



## DuckDodgers

Is this what you mean? One of his eyes looks like this... not an enormous amount of white on it, but noticeable. Especially if he's concerned or looking at something out of the way. You generally can't see any white on his other eye I think, but I can't find any decent photos of that one... Perhaps it's worth mentioning that he has a big blaze that's off centered. As you can see lots of white is present on that side of his face, but you can hardly see any white when viewed directly from the left side.


----------



## Yogiwick

I rarely notice stuff like this and just see the overall horse but I've noticed several I know since this thread. Both are pintos with large blazes but solid around the eyes and normal brown eyes.


----------



## DuckDodgers

I thought to take pictures when I was at the barn today... white on the right eye and brown on the left. The right side is where his blaze is more prevalent, but it doesn't go very near his eyes on either side.


----------



## smrobs

While it's not terribly common in horses without a pinto or the LP gene, it does happen. I had a customer horse in, registered QH, one white and one dark sclera.

Generally, I prefer the look of a dark sclera. White scleras generally make the horse look hard eyed.


----------



## Pyrros

My dork of a gelding Midas is also in the 'one white sclera' club. Neither of his parents had white sclera. (Sire was bay tobiano, dam was bay with a very tiny star.) I think on some horses the sclera being white looks kinda odd but on others it works. I feel it seems to give midas more of a wider range of expressions, especially when he's up to no good.

From a distance, provided he's not making faces/otherwise being a dork, it's not really so 'alarmed' looking. His eye definitely shows a lot of white though.

Another horse that comes to mind though with 1 white sclera and that is not a paint or appy; Rachel Alexandra. I don't know if either of her parents had it though. I don't believe her colt or filly have it as far as I know.


----------



## BowmanFarms

My colt has one brown and one "white " my sister and father call it his paint eye or his crazy eye lol 

Its not too bad, until like others said, he is actually alarmed or looking a something.


----------



## stevenson

i have heard it called wall eyed.


----------



## LoveofOTTB

My guy has one white and one dark or more normal. When I first got him, I asked the vet if it was normal, or if it would hurt him. She said unless it seems to bother him, he is perfectly fine! He has the white, on the eye where his blaze goes over that eye almost =] I kind of like it, it makes him look different! He is still so handsome though ;]


----------



## LoveTheSaddlebreds

I've always called it the "Appaloosa" or the "Crazy" eye haha I've seen a few horses with both.


----------



## Lockwood

Pyrros said:


> I think on some horses the sclera being white looks kinda odd but on others it works. I feel it seems to give midas more of a wider range of expressions, especially when he's up to no good.


That's exactly what it does....lol
Whenever mine is up to no good, his expression gives him away 100%. Otherwise it seems to add to his overall gooberyness. ​


----------



## Roux

There is a horse at my barn with one of each. She is an almost solid ApHA but has some smaller white markings on her face and belly.


----------

