Equine Iridology - It's all in the eyes!

Equine Iridology (EI) is the analysis of the coloured part of the eye (the iris) to reveal the state of.a horse’s health. Equine iridology can detect:

• Old injuries and/ or health issues;
• Current health issues affecting the horse;
• The root cause of re-occurring issues;
• Inherent weaknesses the horse is born with that may predispose it to certain diseases and illnesses in the future.
• Inherited strengths and personality traits;
• Whether there is a physical reason for a behavioural problem;
• Structural misalignments;
• Origin of muscle spasm, digestive issues and much much more!

Equine Iridology is a true preventative assessment technique.  Early identification of inherited or constitutional weaknesses in a horse allows early treatment or management to prevent the onset of certain diseases and illnesses, for example by supporting weak organs/ systems by nutritional or herbal means. Moreover, an iris diagnosis can also pick up developing issues long before conventional methods or before symptoms appear. Again, this allows early treatment which will maximise the chance of a successful outcome.

Equine Iridology can identify the root cause of a health issue.  Many physical therapies merely put a plaster over the problem by treating the symptom rather than the route cause.  When an organ is under stress, the fascia surrounding that area becomes tight.  Over time this will lead to muscle spasms and misalignments.  If the root cause of the physical problem is not addressed (e.g. organ stress), the problem may keep reoccurring as the physical therapist may only be treating the resulting symptoms e.g. muscle spasm and misalignment. Identification of the root cause of a problem through EI therefore allows the horse to be treated in a truly holistic manner.

Equine iridology can be performed on horses and ponies and can be used: 

• As an annual ‘MOT’ or preventative assessment to ensure the future health of your horse by the early identification of any developing issues; 
• To identify any breeding issues you may be having or to identify which young stock you may wish to keep for breeding;
• To help with vetting a new horse in the identification of old, current, developing health issues and constitutional or inherited weaknesses;
• To explain whether there is a physical cause of a behavioural issue the horse may be displaying;
• As a pre-season health check to identify any potential problems or to better understand any ongoing training issues that remain unresolved.

Equine Iridology is proving to be a powerful tool in explaining to the horse owner the route cause of health and training issues a horse may be experiencing. It can alert owners of any deficiencies and nutritional imbalances within their feeding regime in order to optimise health, soundness and training.  It can alert potential buyers to the history of the horse’s health and soundness and display any genetic weaknesses which may lead to future health problems.

There are, however, certain limitations.  Equine iridology does not diagnose specific diseases. There are many diseases that show up the same tissue degeneration within the iris.  Marks in the iris can only highlight the area in which there is a problem, it cannot identify the specific illness.  And finally, as with all complimentary therapies, iridologists are not intended to substitute medical or veterinary advice or treatment. If in any doubt, you should always consult your Veterinary Surgeon beforehand or if the iridologist so recommends.