The tear duct runs from the corner of the eye, down the face and exits through the nose. This duct allows the tears produced, (that clean and lubricate the eye) a place to drain, so the moisture is unable to run down the horse’s face. When a duct becomes blocked (which can occur in one or both eyes), all the moisture created, runs out of the eye and down their face. Many horses that suffer from a blocked tear duct experience excessive tearing. If you notice your horse’s eye(s) tearing, it is important to schedule an appointment with Dr. Winter right away. If he determines that your horse has a blocked tear duct, he can perform a simple procedure to open the duct. It is unknown why this happens to some horses but it seems to be genetically predisposed. After this procedure is performed, eye drops or ointment will be needed for a few days and a full recovery is expected.