Welfare and management of decreased visual capacities and pain in a pony suffering from equine recurrent uveitis: A clinical case

This clinical case describes a 14-year-old Gypsy Cob gelding presented for suspected impaired vision. Given the apparently insidious presentation, bilateral equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) was strongly suspected. ERU management was addressed both clinically and from a welfare point of view. Treatment using ointment was preferred to eye drops to reduce the frequency of administration. Clicker training was used to facilitate treatment administration by eliciting positive emotions. In response to the progressive bilateral blindness, social and physical environments and new relational practices were adapted to reduce stress on the pony by increasing predictability and controllability of his situation. This case is to our knowledge the first to include detailed welfare management strategies as a part of a more comprehensive medical approach to ERU.