LORI DUNN SCRATCHBOARD ART
promoting conservation through artistic efforts
The Fields Beyond
5.5 x 8.5
SOLD
This piece was done as a study of the equine eye in preparation for some larger artworks. The horse has the largest eyeball of any land mammal. As a result, its retina is over sized and objects appear magnified to the animal. Human beings have binocular vision, made more effective by our eyes being located at the front of the skull. The horse, on the other hand, has both monocular and binocular vision. Each eye receives and processes light separately. The binocular vision of a horse is only available outside of a 4 foot range in front of its head causing the space within that 4 foot range to be a blind spot for the animal unless it turns its head to utilize monocular vision.
A horses eye also has bifocal capability. As a grazing animal, they must be able to see at a distance with the head lowered in order to spot predators. This is done using the upper portion of the eye, and similarly, when viewing an object up close a horse will look out of the lower portion of the eye. Just like us when we are wearing bifocal glasses! I have always found the eyes of a horse to be wonderfully reflective due to their dark irises. Like looking in a mirror, the surrounding land is clearly visible.
