Does your horse wear his sunglasses at night? Sorry, Corey. But in all seriousness, if your horse suffers from a chronic eye issue, head-shaking, photosensitivity, eye ulcer, or is recovering from eye surgery or infection, then you might want to take a look at the latest innovation coming out of Italy.
The eVysor by eQuick are horse goggles that block harmful UV rays and protect the eyes from bright light and other irritants.
The goggles are especially helpful if your horse is battling uveitis, which is the most common cause of blindness. The condition causes inflammation of the eye’s uveal tract, which is the portion of the eye that sits behind the cornea and in front of the retina. When inflamed, it’s very painful. Also known as “moon blindness,” the recurrent form of the condition, called equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), according to the UCDavis Veterinary School of Medicine, “is the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide. It affects 2-25% of horses globally, with 56% of affected horses eventually becoming blind. More than 60% of affected horses are unable to return to previous levels of work.”
The eVysor is another tool to help a horse suffering from any form of uveitis in addition to the drug treatments needed to relieve pain and prevent blindness.
The goggles fit over the ears and clip under the jaw. The straps are elasticated and much thicker than those of a human version of sunglasses.
The big caveat is the goggles are for use when riding. Only when riding. They are not a mask to fend off flies for turn-out or in the stall. The manufacturer specifically warns about this, and that serious injury can occur if an unattended horse were to rub its eyes while wearing the eVysor. But under saddle, clients include riders across all disciplines, including racing, eventing and barrel racing.
American jumper rider Aubrey Torrez, who is based in Alabama, recently did a round of press interviews promoting her “underdog” horses, one of whom, Quiproco, lost an eye to disease. She rides the horse in the show ring with the special eVysor. “Everyone, from other competitors to judges and stewards, wants to have a look at the one-eyed jumper in the fighter pilot goggles,” she told one media outlet.
Which, given the stylish look, isn’t a surprise. And while they only come in one size, they do come in a variety of mirrored shades: transparent, orange, blue and “darker.” The transparency or “filter category” would depend on your horse’s needs.
Leave it to the Italians, world-renowned for their fashion designs, to create horse goggles that not only work effectively to protect your horse’s eyes, but are super chic, too.
Available at various online retailers including Amazon.com where they sell for approximately $230 USD.
