If you have ever seen a horse with its face covered with some sort of cloth, you probably have a lot of questions. Why is the horse’s eyes covered? Can it still see? These are all reasonable questions. In today’s article we are going to explain exactly why do you cover horses’ eyes, and whether or not they can still see.
Why do you cover horse’s eyes?
The reason people cover horse’s eyes is to protect the horse from flies. The mask typically covers a large portion of the face, including the eyes and sometimes the ears. There is no need to worry, as the covering is made out of a mesh material that is transparent so the horse can still see. While it may seem unnatural for a horse to wear a covering over its eyes, it actually has a lot of health benefits. The number one advantage of covering a horse’s eyes and face is that it protects from flies and insects. Not only do flies irritate a horse, their bites can cause irritation and itchiness that makes the horse very uncomfortable. Additionally, flies can carry with them infectious diseases that they can transmit to horses. The mesh on the eye covering makes it impossible for the fly to reach the horse’s skin. Some eye coverings even have insect repellent on them to keep the flies away. A face covering on a horse also helps protect the horse from UV light. Horse face coverings are most popular in areas where the weather is hot and the air is humid, because these are the areas with the most amount of flies and insects. People usually just cover horse’s eyes during the spring and summer because those are the hottest months of the year and the time period where there are the most insects and flies present. Most horse eye covers contain a soft mesh on the inside in order to prevent the covering from causing irritation by rubbing against the horse’s skin. Face coverings are usually just used when the horse is out grazing or walking by itself. It is not recommended to put a face covering over a horse while riding it because the covering does impair the horse’s vision a little bit.
There is also a new technology being used to cover a horse’s eyes. They are called horse goggles, and they basically look like sunglasses. Unlike face coverings, these goggles or visors are actually used while someone is riding a horse. They protect the horse’s eyes from UV light, and also protect the horse’s eye from getting poked by branches and trees. Horse goggles are also popular in places where there is a lot of sand, because the goggles prevent sand from being kicked up into the horse’s eyes. Horse goggles are used in casual riding, jumping competitions, and even sometimes in racing. The goggles do not impair the horse’s vision at all.
