blind horses.......

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Parkranger

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evening.....just wondered if anyone knew of any blind horses/horses that were blind in one eye and how they coped etc....

Seems like a random question but I know someone who has found out her horse is blind in one eye - just be nice to offer some words of comfort really as it must be pretty upsetting.

x
 
my mate rode one XC, yes XC it was blind in one eye and has poor site in the other. but some how it can jump and do everything and trusts the rider. you say jump and it will. but i dont know how he knows how high the fence is.
 
Yup - known a few. Used to work with a stunning DW stallion that was practically blind in one eye. Also, known several broodmares that had lost an eye. I even knew a broodmare that was blind in BOTH eyes! Her best friend was her eyes and led her everywhere - she was the dam of some amazing show hacks apparently!
 
I used to ride a welsh cob with one eye blind...he is one of the most amazing horses ever, jumped almost anything I put infron of him...was a crazy, but so so dafe hack...a complete dude!!
 
My friend's horse is partially sighted in one eye. We think the amount of sight he has in that eye is deteriorating as he gets older to the extent we don't think he has much sight at all now. He got an ulcer when he was 7/8 and hasn't had full vision since then - he's 13 now.

Competitively it hasn't impeded him - he's got 20+ dressage points - but he is spooky. Anything happening on his near side (his blind side) can scare him BUT he hacks out on the roads without any problems apart from being a bit spooky. He's fine in traffic though not totally comfortable with anything bigger than a small van, unless he's with another horse who is calm. He's never been a brave jumper but I think that's more in his character than his sight problems, though as he was started late (only broken at 6yo) we'll never really know.

We see loads of very successful dressage horses with sight in one eye only - in fact we went through a stage of seeing so many it seemed like it was a positive advantage.
 
i know a horse that is blind. He is the most amazing jump and is affiliated at BN level. He's fast too and nothing beats him!!
 
My daughters clydesdale had her eye removed earlier this year. The eye had a rare condition that I cannot spell but basically there was a non malignant mass that spread across her eye almost blinding her. We tried several steroid treatments to stop the growth but they didn't work. The eye bled with the slightest rub and the decision was made to remove it. She has coped really well and cocks her head to one side slightly if she's not sure of a sound which is quite cute. We started to ride her again and she is so brave as the removed eye is on the right (road) side so she cannot see when cars pass. She can be spooked like any horse and has had the odd bump, perhaps if the gates not open enough, but generally she copes very well.
 
There is a horse on our yard who had to have an eye removed. I wasnt there at the time but I have been told it coped fine once it adjusted. Now it acts and copes just like any other horse
smile.gif
 
I rode a blind pony, never knew if it was one eye or both...

She was very nervous of corners and things boogey men might be hiding in, but I think being at a riding stable and being ridden by so many different people didn't help. She was more settled with be because we'd bonded (we did everything together for a long time, she was very dear to me!).

No one new she was blind till they decided to sell her because she was no longer of any use. I don't like to think about where she ended up
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my friends old boy had an eye removed last year as he had cancer in it, he is 17 and copes just fine,still jumps 3ft and hacks out everywhere, only thing you have to do is let him know your then when your on his blind side.
 
I've known two that were blind in one eye, one had a cateract and the other a tumour. Both were basically normal horses and weren't affected at all, except if catching them from the field, you needed to approach from the none blind side, so they knew you were there!!!!
 
My 1st ever pony was 100% blind in one eye (near side) - but she was the most perfect pony ever in the world! Would turn her hoof to anything and you could trust her with the smallest of kids!
I lost her after 10 very happy years - but only due to chronic lameness - nothing to do with her eye.
 
I have seen Briarlands Blackberry, the four star event horse, compete at Burghley twice with only one eye! I thought he must have been like that since a very young age but apparently not - only lost it a few years ago! According to an article in H&H a while ago, most horses adapt to it very well.
 
We have a horse that only has one eye (the other had to be removed) he still goes really nicely and it hasnt really changed him much at all, allthough he prefers to be lead along on the side where his eye is! (obviously!)

xjessx
 
My Mum had a horse that was blind in one eye when we were younger (the eye was taken out due to cancer). Did everything a two eyed horse could do, saying that it was just mainly hacking and local level stuff but she coped really well!
 
Thats the one - I have read right through the thread trying to remember the horse that competes at Burghley with only one eye. I have seen him and it certainly doesnt give him any problems.
 
Unless you noticed the empty socket, you would not know that Cairo is one eyed.

I have ridden several horses blind on one side, most you would not know they were and one did turn her head slightly when jumping and as long as you let her, she would jump 4' no problem.
 
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