Eyes and Vision

Horses see the world quite differently to us. Here are some interesting facts about their eyes and vision

Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal

Horses have dichromatic vision meaning they can see colours on the spectrum of blue and green but not reds

Objects in colours which contrast with the ground are the easiest to see

Their eyes have a reflecting membrane allowing them enhanced night vision

Horses see better on cloudy days compared to bright days because their eyes don’t adjust quickly to changing light

Horses have a 350degree range of vision but their binocular vision is around 65degree, compared to humans who have 200degree range with 120degree binocular. This means they have comparatively poor depth perception but excellent peripheral vision

Horses have a forward blind spot from their eye level to the ground and about 6ft in front from this level. They use their whiskers to sense the proximity of objects

Training Tip: Encouraging a horse to approach a spooky object head on means they struggle to judge how close it is (depth perception). As they get closer to the object it actually disappears. Allowing the horse to view from a distance and approaching from an angle lets them see it within their binocular range so they can make an informed choice in their reaction