Dry eyes when horseback riding

Eyes often feel dry when horseback riding because of wind at faster gaits, dust from arena footing and dirt trails, sun on long rides, and dry air in winter. Wear close-fitting sunglasses or riding glasses that stay put, keep the barn aisle dust down, wash your hands after grooming before touching your eyes, and use a lubricating drop as its label directs.

Why do my eyes water when riding a horse?

At a trot, a canter or a gallop, air moves across your face the whole time. Moving air evaporates the tear film faster, and the eye often responds with a burst of watering, which can leave it feeling dry again afterward. Riding into a headwind on an open field or beach adds to it. The same thing happens to cyclists and motorcyclists, and the solutions overlap; see dry eyes when cycling.

Horse riding eye protection

Eye protection for riding has to stay on through bounce and sudden movement. What riders commonly use:

• Wraparound sport sunglasses with rubber nose pads and temple grips, which cut wind from the sides as well as the front.
• A retaining strap so glasses don’t fly off at a canter or over a jump.
• Clear or light-tinted lenses for arenas, early mornings and wooded trails, where dark lenses make it hard to see footing.
• A helmet with a peak or visor to shade the eyes, if it suits your discipline.

Check your discipline’s rules before competing, since some events have dress codes. For schooling and trail rides, comfort and a secure fit matter most.

Arena dust and dry footing

Sand and fiber footing in a dry indoor or outdoor arena kicks up fine dust with every stride, especially when several horses are working. Dust on the eye’s surface makes it feel gritty and can prompt rubbing, which irritates it further. Ways to cut down on it:

• Water or drag the arena before riding when the facility allows it.
• Ride when fewer horses are working, or keep your distance from the horse ahead.
• Wear glasses even indoors.
• If dust gets in your eye, rinse it with clean water rather than rubbing it.

In the barn: hay, bedding and grooming

Shaking out hay, mucking stalls and currying a shedding horse all put dust and hair in the air at face level. Your hands also pick up dirt, sweat and hair. Before touching your eyes, wash your hands with soap and water, not just a quick wipe on your jeans. Opening barn doors for airflow and dampening the aisle before sweeping helps keep the dust down. Our guide for farmers covers more barn-chore situations.

Long trail rides in sun and wind

A trail ride can mean hours in the saddle with sun overhead and wind across open ground. Glare from water, pale rock or snow adds strain. Wear sunglasses from the start rather than once your eyes hurt, take breaks in shade when the horse rests, and drink water. If you’re riding at altitude or in desert country, expect the air to be drier still; dry air, wind and altitude explains why.

Winter riding

Cold air holds little moisture, and a heated tack room or truck cab dries it further. Riding in winter wind can leave eyes stinging and watering. A neck gaiter pulled up, clear glasses and a brimmed helmet cover help. When you get back to the truck, aim the heater vents at your feet, not your face.

Carrying eye drops to the barn

Quell is a lubricating eye drop designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Its label states the Uses as For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye, and the directions as Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Use it with clean hands, ideally after washing up and before you get on, rather than in the saddle. The label adds: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.

Tack rooms, trailers and trucks get hot in summer and freeze in winter. Quell’s label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), so keep the bottle in a jacket pocket or your bag rather than the trailer dressing room. Read the caution on our Drug Facts page before trying it: the label mentions egg and bird allergies.

Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, with guest checkout. Shipping is $10.00, or free on 3 or more bottles, and unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery without returning them. See prices.

When to see an eye doctor

Something stuck under the lid after a dusty ride, pain, or vision that doesn’t clear needs an eye doctor promptly, not a drop. The label says: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.