Wall Eyes, do they restrict eyesight?

[CautionToTheWind]

As some of you may know, I have a coloured mare on part-loan and she has two gorgeous wall eyes.

I was just wondering if wall eye's restricted eyesight somewhat? Does the lack of pigment effect the quality of their eyesight? Just my little mare is very spooky, which I'm fine with as she hasn't been hacked out much (and she's pretty small, so everything must seem huge to her! :p ), but my friend mentioned it may be something to do with her two wall eyes restricting her sight, and I wondered if there's any truth in that?

She spooks sometimes if people approach quickly from a direction she's not looking, but I just put that down to her being generally nervous/spooky and she's spooky when hacking both alone and in company and she looks at everything! But again, I've just put this down to lack of experience.

Would love any feedback, as I'm really curious :)
Thanks
xx

[black crow]

No they dont, it is just a difference in pigmentation compared to 'normal' eyes.

There seems to be some 'rumour' that wall eyed horses always get eye cancer, cataracts, are blind, have poor eyesight or are more likely to spook.
Unless the horse has another issue, it is all a load of total BS. I dont know who the heck came up with such a notion.

A lot of people find them offputting or ugly, which is probably where such a silly idea came from.

Many horses are 'spooky' due to it being their natural response. Horses have a greater perception of detail, so someone walking past is a big movement to them. Unless there is proven that they have an inner eye problem, there is no issue with wall eyes what so ever.


I still remember getting verbally abused for riding and 'keeping alive' a horse who was so obviously in pain and couldnt see. Im sure she was an ultimate horse expert :rolleyes:

[BEX101]

As above really. Horses can get cateracts/moon blindness which causes the eyes to discolour/go white and maybe people are assuming wall eyed horses have a problem because of the colour similarities?
Personally i'm not keen on them, but it wouldnt put me off a horse if it was right for me in every other way

[gallopinggelding]

i have known a horse with both eyes wall eyes he was a perfect horse for hacking etc, loved kids etc,, he wasnt mine just a friends ,wall eyes wouldnt make me think any different of a horse or put me off them buying/loaning them neither

[My Crazy Clan]

Like you say she hasn't bee hacked out much, thats enough to spook any horse.

[Pulleil01]

As long as her eyes are clear and blue not a film of white then she is fine, some people have bought a horse been told it has a wall eye when it is actually a cateract which is one of many reasons people should always see and vet the horse they buy as some sellers have no morals. Some horses spook others don't but all do at first they just need time and patience to see that its not so frightening.