Equivizor Recovery Mask
Does your horse suffer from uveitis or recovering from an eye injury? If so, then the Equivizor recovery mask may be just what you are looking for.
Back in March this year my horse suffered his first episode of uveitis. Equine uveitis is a painful condition where the uveal tract of the eye becomes inflamed causing the eye to become very uncomfortable for the horse. There are many articles on the internet about this condition and they all list a range of causes that may trigger uveitis, they also explain that in a lot of cases it can be very hard to determine the initial cause. For some horse’s uveitis can become an ongoing issue with recurring episodes throughout their lifetime that unfortunately there is no cure for at this time.
The key to uveitis is prompt and thorough treatment, of which me and my horse are learning about as we progress through our first cycle of treatment. Initially he required a combination of eye drops administered every 2 hours along with some painkillers administered by the vet and bute on a daily basis. As his eye improved over a few days the time between eye drops could gradually be lengthened. We did at one point have the issue of an ulcer in the eye that resulted in a change of eye drops until the ulcer had cleared up. We are still treating the eye as treatment can last up to 16 weeks.
At the beginning of the treatment my vet recommended Equivizor.co.uk to me. This company is the UK stockist for the Equivizor product range. I purchased two products to help my horse get back to his normal routine as soon as possible. He did have to remain in a dark stable for the first 3 weeks to allow the initial symptoms to calm down, but once the vet gave us the go ahead for him to go back out in the field he wore the Equivizor fly mask that provides high quality UV protection and has a built-in structure that shades the eyes form the sun. He now wears this fly mask when ever he is out of his indoor stable to shade his eyes from the light.
My horse Porter competing in an eventers challenge at Tweseldown a couple of weeks ago wearing his Equivizor recovery mask (ridden by my friend)
Once back in the field we were then able to begin working him lightly, to do this he wore the Equivizor recovery mask. When I first looked up this product online I was slightly surprised by the look of it and I wondered what my horse would think of wearing it. But this mask has now become an essential piece of my horse’s tack that he happily wears every day. I was a little nervous using the mask for the first time and worried about how my horse would react as he is known to be a little over sensitive at times, but in all honesty, there was no reaction at all and over the past few weeks we have gone back to doing all the usual exercise we would normally do. This includes hacking, lunging, flat work, pole work, jumping and cross country (with veterinary advice being followed at all times). I have been nothing but impressed by this product, its comfortable for the horse to wear and remains in place even when riding cross county.
Porter wearing his Equivizor recovery mask – dark version in cob size
The dark version of the recovery mask in cob size retails at £245. My insurance company have covered the cost of the recovery mask as it was recommended by my vet to aid recovery. But even if my insurance didn’t cover the £245 cost, it’s not a huge amount to pay to save my horse’s sight and provide him with a good quality of life moving forward. The recovery mask appears to be so well made that I don’t think you would need to replace it for a very long time.
The Equivizor recovery mask not only protects my horse’s eyes but it has relieved a huge amount of stress for both me and my horse whilst experiencing this horrible condition, as it has allowed us to continue with everything we normally do whilst the long treatment program continues.