Conference noted::equitation

    
    There is lots to consider with one going blind. 
    
    If they are comfortable with their surroundings and seem to be able to 
    get around okay, you might want to keep working with them. 
    
    I have a friend who has an old gelding who seems to be maintaining his 
    composure and remains comfortable with not seeing.  The kids play with 
    him and he seems content with his condition.
    
    However, I have known blind horses to have a personality change and
    have become dangerous to themselves and other creatures around them. 
    
    I had an old mare which went blind.  I continued to turn her out on my
    13 acres for a while.  She followed her daughter around all the time.  
    They lived in the same stall.  Deb was kind of her 'eyes'.  But in a 
    few months she started to get VERY fretful and nervous.  Started jumping 
    into things when she was startled.  Because of her danger to herself (and 
    some other problems which started happening) I made the decision to put 
    her down.  It was the hardest thing I ever did.

    I adopted a pony from the Maine State Human Society that had the same
    condition.  He learned the parameter of the fencing and his stall.  It
    was remarkable to watch him cantering in a field and he would know
    enough to stop several feet before running into the fence.  I even
    showed him in a pet pony class and he won!  I think the important thing
    is that the owner just has to be very attentive and alert.  When I
    rode him I had to be the eyes for the both of us.  I couldn't assume
    anything or not pay attention like I could with my other horses.  
    
    Scotty become very attached to another pony in the barn and this pony 
    seemed to help him get around.  Eventually they were inseparateble and
    they even shared the same stall.  When I decide to leave the barn I just 
    couldn't bare to separate the pair or change his surroundings so my friend
    kept him. I saw him last winter for the first time in years.  He's getting
    close to 30 and is now just starting to show his age. 
    
    But the point is, with special care, and a routine schedule with familiar
    surroundings, they can have a very functional and happy life.
    
     
                                             
    

    Have you considered advertising him as a field companion for a lonely
    horse.  I am sure both would appreciate the company and it wouldn't
    take him long to get to know his new surroundings.
    
    Barbara
    

    
    All horses are different just like people.  My friend has a 25 yr old
    TB mare who is blind in both eyes.  She gets along just fine, they
    even moved barns a few years ago and she ajusted just fine, she is
    friendly and loving.  but all horses are different, have your friend
    watch her horse and see how he acts, he may get very friendly or he
    may get very ornery, what ever decision she makes Im sure it will be
    the best for the horse..good luck
    
    L

    I watched a special on TV about a by and his blind horse.
    The boy had barrel raced with his horse, among other things.
    The boy "BARREL RACED" his blind horse for the camera.
    
    You would never have known by the horses performance...
    
    L-

    My father had a mare who was blind but we rode her for many years on
    the trails- new and familiar ones. There were only three people who
    ever rode her, my dad, a family member and me. She would do everything
    we asked of her- but we didn't ask her to do the impossible. What she would
    do on the trails when she was unsure of certain objects was feel with 
    her leg- she would rub it against the object to get a sense of 
    what it was- like a fallen tree trunk. Of course she had to completely 
    trust the rider- that's why only three people were ever allowed to 
    ride her. We rode her on the side of the roads too, and just talked 
    softly whenever a large truck was approaching. She was fine. She 
    relied on her sense of hearing and her sense of feel. It was amazing 
    what she could do. We even took her over small jumps - she listened 
    to voice and body commands. She was wonderful. I miss her.
    
    We were very gentle with her - but then she was a very sweet horse. Her
    personality never changed from anything other than sweet and gentle.
    
    She was like this for many years and eventually we put her down,
    HOWEVER, it was for something OTHER than her eyesight. 
    
    Pat
                                         

    Hi,
    
    I'd like to thank you all for responding, I given the notes to my
    friend and it made her feel much better.  She's got a big decision
    to make, and I'm sure she'll do whatever she feels best for her
    horse.  She loves Sweet William very much.
    
    Kel

    has your friend made a decision about Sweet William yet?
    Pat
    

    
    I have a horse that recently lost his left eye in an accident, I was 
    wondering if anyone has had any experience in dealing with anything
    like this.  Right now I am hand walking him and he is doing fine with
    that.  I'd like to start riding him  again when I get the
    vet's approval.
    
    Any help/advice would be appreciated.
    
    Lisa
    
    
    

    My trainer has a broodmare that had to have an eye
    removed because of a tumor....anyway, she does fine 
    with one eye, (she is not ridden, but is free at pasture
    with the other broodmares, and even goes across the creek
    to the other meadow with no problems).  She has had 1 foal
    and is currently preggers, since.  Other than not coming
    up to her suddenly on her blind side, she has had no personality
    change because of it.
    
    Lynne

    This year at the Arabian Nationals (1990) the reserve national champion
    sidesaddle horse was blind in one eye...20 years old I believe.  The
    horse went English Pleasure and you would never have known that he was
    blind on one side.
    
    As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly...he went reserve three
    years in a row.
    
    It definitely can be done and from what I gather it is the confidence
    the horse has in the rider.
    
    Good luck...it will definitely be worthwhile.
    
    Kathie
    

    One of my friends just went through a similar experience - her very old
    mare lost one eye also.  We thought the mare's age would be a 
    hindrance (she's at least 30), but there was no problem.  There
    was another horse at the barn who had lost an eye at about
    age 3 -- he's now 15, so we knew that in theory there shouldn't be any
    problems.  LB (mare) went through the operation and the blindness
    as if nothing happened.  She had no personality changes, was fine to
    ride (when vet said to), and continued on thinking she was queen
    of the barn (at her age, no one argues).  I'd say it's a bigger
    problem for the owners than the horses!
    
    Good luck -- all cases I know of say your horse should be back to normal
    in a real short time.
    
    
    Dawn

    I know two horses which are blind in one eye, one through an injury
    and the other with a Cataract.
    
    A few years ago I did Pairs jumping with the one with the injury,
    and he was great, you wouldn't have known. He is a very good show/
    hunter.
    
    The other is a childs pony, and they jump, hack, x contry, infact
    they do everything with him.
    
    Jayne

    I too used to have a gelding with one blind eye, from an accident
    years before I got him. You'd never have known except for the
    discoloration. I did gymkhanas with him as a pre-teenager, he barrel
    raced, did pole bending, and jumped about 2'6" easily. Can't say
    as I remember it ever being any sort of problem in the least. He
    was my first horse after graduating from ponies, and I adored him
    as all kids do at that age. Wouldn't have traded him for anything.
    He died at 32 of colic. Good luck, I'm sure you'll make out just fine!
    

    Oh, yes......I forgot to mention the 38 yr old mare
    someone I know has that is blind in one eye......
    The owner is not known for riding sedately.....
    
    Lynne

    I remember seeing (quite a few years back) a totally blind horse
    running barrels at a show in Connecticut.  He did well and naturally
    had complete confidence in his owner/rider.
    
    I also know of an American Saddlebred gelding that did very well at
    shows and had one glass eye.  He was also an excellent trail horse from
    what I heard.
    
    Pat
    

I remember readin this book when I was a kid and thinking how wonderful it
was that someone could teach a totally blind horse to ride, trail ride and
even jump (yes, jump...) My mom told me it was just a book...

Well, the book was based on a true story and the basis for this book was a woman
who is now very active in the eventing world in New England. I remember
visiting her and watching her ride this pony (in a rolling field, with bushes,
rocks, etc.) and she jumped him... She had taught this pony alot of stuff before
he went completely blind, commands and how to react to tone changes (ie. "Up"
vs. "up" to let him know how high to step or jump...) It was beautiful.... 

Anyway, you're horse might need a short adjustment period, but they learn
to compensate for losses very well...

Good luck with your critter!

    replying to 1414.9  Do you remember the name of this women who had the
    blind pony?  Was it Rhonda Watts, from Wilton NH.  
    
    Lisa

    I thought I'd let everyone know how my horse is doing.  The vet came
    out yesterday to remove the stitches.  I now have the o.k. to start
    riding him.  I have been walking him and he's been fine with the one
    eye as long as he can see me.  Since he lost his left eye, I am walking
    on the right of him.  He's not the type of horse the spooks easily so I
    don't think it will be too hard making the transition to riding him.
    
    Thanks for all the replies, it nice to hear other success stories that
    others have had.
    
    Lisa

  There is a story in the March 1991 Dressage and CT about a 
  Dressage horse in Germany who is totally blind. The horse is
  a nine-year old Holsteiner who became blind suddenly one day 
  due to loose retinas, for which they could find no cause.
  The rider took one year to school the horse back up to his
  previous level of competition, which he has now surpassed,
  and is now competed at "M" and "S" levels. 

    I rode my horse who recently lost his eye last weekend for the first
    time.  He was fine.  I mounted on the left side, where the eye is
    missing and he was normal.  We walked, troted and cantered and I
    wouldn't had known he was missing an eye.  He acted like he always
    had!  It's now all healed up and hair is pretty much all grown in. 
    
    Thanks for all the replies.  Lisa  
    
    
                                                     

    hi,
    
    my mare winnie was diagnosed 3 months ago with moonblindess.
    the vet didn't give any detail except that winnie's eyesisght
    was the equivilant of looking through icecubes and when i 
    asked if there was anything i could do she replied "nothing". 
    
    does anyone know what causes moonblindess?  does it ever
    go away?  can it be treated?  winnie isn't turned out 
    when it's real sunny and her stall is dark (i was told
    the sun irritates the condition). 
    
    she's wonderful in the ring.  i'm not sure if any folks
    remember but i wrote some time ago about a problem i
    was having with cantering winnie on the trail (she went
    into a bucking frenzy).  well, since then (5 months ago) i 
    moved to a full care barn and it's been wonderful.  i take a 
    lesson once a week and have discovered that winnie is a very
    well schooled horse.  i'm learning so much and my 
    confidence is coming back.  when i learned that she had
    moonblindess i was quite sad but winnie is so wonderful
    i sometimes forget...  
    
    i just want to know that there really is nothing that
    can be done.  my instructor asked a second vet and they
    said the same thing (nothing can be done except he 
    mentioned asprin but said there was no real proof that
    it even helped "it may or may not").
    
    any info would be most appreciated.
    
    thanks,
    
    donna
                                      

    
    
    	I thought my sister used some kind of oitment, to put
    into her horses eyes.. 
    
    	My sisters horses moonblindness did go away.. 
    
    	Her horse is 21 .. 
    
    	Some kind of drops, she couldn't remember what they were
    	called.. 
    
    	

    I knew a person who had a mare who was totaly blind in one eye and
    partialy blind in the other.  the only personaliy difference I ever
    noticed was that she turned her head to the side when you called her.
    The kids at the barn crawled an her like a jungle gym.  Even that woman
    who "talks to the animals" came and saw her.  The "interview" wasen't
    the best.  She said the horse would die within a year.  Well, that was
    9 years ago and I hear she is riding kids in Walk\Trot classes now.
    
    I just hope people can give blind horses a chance to adjust before
    passing sentence.  I know of a one eyed Fresian (sp?) who is the lead
    horse in a tandum.
    
    vlm

    The Reserve National Champion Sidesaddle Mare at the Arabian Nationals
    was blind in one eye.  One would never know it.  I believe she has 
    taken at lease 3 Reserve Championships in that condition.
    
    Some horses compensate very well with confidence in their riders.
    
    Kathie
    

    When I was a kid, 10 or so, I had a grade gelding who was blind in one
    eye. He was fine, never seem bothered by it at all. I did gymkanas with
    him, he was the faster pole bender in the Hollis NH 4H at the time! :-)