How Horses See the World

Horses possess remarkable visual abilities, with nearly 360° panoramic vision and exceptional night vision. However, their eyes have some intriguing quirks compared to human eyes. Despite seeing a slightly blurrier world with 20/30 vision, horses compensate with incredible peripheral vision, thanks to their side-mounted eyes. This layout allows them to maintain awareness of their surroundings, crucial for detecting potential threats while grazing. Yet, this panoramic view comes with blind spots directly in front and behind them. Despite their superior ability to see in low light, horses take longer to adjust from bright to dark environments, particularly as they age. Their color vision differs from humans, perceiving only shades of blue and green, akin to individuals with certain types of color blindness. Nevertheless, their brains excel at detecting motion, aiding in predator detection. Surprisingly, horse eyes share a similarity with ostrich eyes in size, both boasting the largest eyes among land animals, approximately 2 inches in diameter, akin to a billiard ball.