Buying a partially sighted horse

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Meeko

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As the title says, I have the chance to buy a partially sighted horse. Only partially sighted in one eye. I dont have all the details as i am still waiting for this information to be sent to me.

Any body have a horse or no of a partially sighted horse??

I dont no enough information about the eye to give you the details as yet, just wondering what everyones first thoughts/experience were.

Thanks :)
 
Meeko said:
As the title says, I have the chance to buy a partially sighted horse. Only partially sighted in one eye. I dont have all the details as i am still waiting for this information to be sent to me.

Any body have a horse or no of a partially sighted horse??

I dont no enough information about the eye to give you the details as yet, just wondering what everyones first thoughts/experience were.

Thanks :)
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Just wait - you will get a lot of negative comments like. Do not buy- don't touch with a bargepole. Be warned.

That said I did and she was the sweetest trusting loving mare I could ask for- she had moon blindness. To start with she mock hunted galloped. Then as her site got worst I still hacked her out, she acted sited with a firm contact and a *hup* when there was a pavement or tree to step over. I would have no regrets and in the same boat I would go there again.:)
 
About a month ago my elderly first pony had an accident and walked into something in the field in the dark (his sight not great anymore before this), and suffered a massive trauma to one eye which then became infected. The worst outlook was that the infection would travel down the optic nerve and cause meningitis, the best he would lose the sight of the eye.

He has been such a brave soldier and exceeded everyone's hopes, fought the infection, kept the eye and regained some sight although it's still a little cloudy and far from perfect vision.

He gets by fine in the field and the other horses respect him and always give him space. A happy ending for him but he is 38 years old and well and truley retired, all he does is go from field to stable and back I''m not so sure how he would be if he was still ridden.
 
I used to ride a horse with an eye missing, she was fab, she would tilt her head slightly when riding her to see where she was going especially jumping, but as long as you let her do it, it was fine.
 
My boy only has one eye.

He competes at novice be and schooled intermediate. I jumped a 1.30 course on him two days ago. He wins numerous jump offs. It doesn't bother me at ALL. Looks a bit freaky but I got used to it. Just meant I got a fantastic horse abut a 1/4 of his value with two eyes! I ride him like a normal horse and make no allowances for it - I just don't need to!

However, I may be more cautious with a horse that has say 30% vision in 1 eye rather than none. I knew one that had a cataract and partially blind in that eye and it made her VERY scatty. I don't know if it was just her but I think the fact she could see a bit but it was all shadowy made it worse than if she had no sight in that eye.
 
Ahrena said:
My boy only has one eye.

He competed at novice be and schooled intermediate. I jumped a 1.30 course on him two days ago. He wins numerous jump offs. It doesn't bother me at ALL. Looks a bit freaky but I got used to it. Just meant I got a fantastic horse abut a 1/4 of his value with two eyes! I ride him like a normal horse and make no allowances for it - I just don't need to!

However, I may be more cautious with a horse that has say 30% vision in 1 eye rather than none. I knew one that had a cataract and partially blind in that eye and it made her VERY scatty. I don't know if it was just her but I think the fact she could see a bit but it was all shadowy made it worse than if she had no sight in that eye.
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at the end my girl had no vision in one eye and 20% in the other she was quiet careful and trusting.
 
one of mine in partially sighted in one eye after an accident before i got her. She can be scatty and silly at times on the ground (she isnt ridden anymore and came to me as a broodie, mainly due to the eye). You have to be extra cautious in the stable and talk to her lots.
Having said that... more recently she has gone really quiet and doesnt seem scatty as usual... next time the vet is out i am going to have the re-examine the eye as i do wonder if she has now completely lost sight?
I spoke to the old owners vets before commiting myself to this mare and wouldnt take on a partially/blind horse without speaking to the vet who has been treating/examined it 1st.

We had a former livery whos horse had sight in just the 1 eye - she took him jumping, hacked him out etc and he was fine, he had lost his sight at a young age hence adapted. He was a loner in the field until he built up trust with other horses but that was about his only negative thing!

I think a lot depends upon your situation. Is this your 1st horse? what support do you have around you? do you already know this horse or would it be totally new to you?
 
I have a partially sighted Arab in my yard that we bought as a 4year old (now 17) He is an Advanced Endurance horse , competing over lots of differen terrain and it has never worried him at all.

The only thing that he has is very good hearing (can hear things long before I can)

He also jumps with no problem.

We knew he only had minimal sight in one eye when we bought him,the other eye is fine. He has no sight in the bad eye now and is still ridden out as normal.
 
It completely depends why the horse is partially sighted .
I have had three horses with eye problems .
One had had uveitis , awful terrible disease eventully he was PTS awful suffering would never buy one who had suffered in the past.
One had a lost one eye in a accident and was partially sighted in the other she was a brood mare but lived a long normal life so I would consider buying a horse who had lost an eye to trauma.
One got a virus it affected his optic nerve he lost his sight gradually and had to be PTS.
It's vital you really clearly understand why the horse is partially sighted before you make a desision.
 
My girls both learnt to ride on a one eyed pony,they had no problems at all. There was an article in Your Horse maga last month about a stuntman with 2 blind horses that still worked.
 
I know of a mare that was born without one eye and it doesn't effect her, she's a bit spooky when ridden but it's more of a pathetic reaction than anything else. Other than that she's fine, a bit marish :rolleyes: but fine
 
The first pony I ever rode had one eye (I was 9 - his eye was shot out by an air-rifle - poor boy) - he was a star and never bothered by his 'deflect' - he was also the first pony I cantered on, had an excellent jump and was a lovely boy on the ground. (this was 1986 :o ).

You may have to be more cautious on hacks but to be fair they cope pretty well. Just wait for more details, have a chat with your vet and if the horse is otherwise what you want then go for it :D
 
I've not had one personally but my sister had a friend who had a pony that was blind in the one eye. I saw her ride him regularly at local shows and they seemed very happy. He did like to have other horses on his good eye side, he didn't like them passing on the other.

Bit different but along similar lines, we have a cow with one eye, she is quite happy as long as you don't creep up on her blind side, then she will jump a mile when she finally sees you. She also only likes to come in a certain side of the milking parlour.

If you are happy with the horse in all other areas and know how to manage them you shouldn't have too much trouble.
 
I have a friend who has a young pony that only has one eye now. She had her from a foal and she had a freak accident in the field one day as a yearling which resulted in her losing one eye. My friend still went on to back her and she is now a happy 4/5 year old who hacks out, schools and jumps. She did have some initial problems with her spooking in traffic whilst out hacking due to her not always seeing buses etc.. coming but she has settled down well and has got used to it.
 
Might be worth looking up posts on here by MontyandZoom and maybe sending her a PM (she doesn't post here much anymore) her mare has only one eye.
 
When I was at equine college there was a horsebwith one eye - it was fully removed and like a hole... soon got used to it but was curious about it as never seen one when I first started college. He competed, was schooled and lived a normal life except for placement of buckets and not to move anything too much in his stable. Was also one at a local riding school who was amazing - needed more space to see a jump if coming from his blind side but amazing little fella.

Go for it, he may need you to be morr of his eyes - to show him the way and reassurre him theres no need to worry - you will be his leader and not hurt him.

Good luck ;) xx
 
At Tafe there was a lovely Standardbred called Poppy. She only hd one eye... and was a pretty successful pacer. She came to Tafe for retirement as she was 10 I think, and her owners wanted to show students that partially blind horses can still do most things that sighted horses can do. They just need to be given a chance. :) There was a lovely video on youtube....
Here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXMynWZIfLc
The trust this horse has in his owner is amazing.
 
Mine competes, he has a few eye issues... Manages fine, I am careful in poor light but he's fine! Has hunted (has no brakes!!) shown to county level, and I mainly do driving trials with him x

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I agree with goldenstar. You need to know for sure it's a stable condition. I had one that lost 50% vision in both eyes suddenly and she was a bit spooky for a couple of weeks and then was perfectly ok.
I've currently got a horse with uvietis and its progressively got worse. He's currently unsafe to be ridden. We've gone from horse of a lifetime to probably retiring a 6 yr old
 
As mentioned one of mine had 20% vision she coped.

the important thing is

Trust with you
trust with field companions
careful leading her in and out box, making sure nothing for her to bang into.
riding keeping good contact so she feels secure.
careful going up pavements and over obstacles in the path. Once they have total trust, there is nothing they wont do.
 
Thank you for all your helpful replies!

Sorry in the delay, the eye issue is due to a accident when she was a foal, its not a on going problem and she deals with it fine, she can be a little more spooky but thats about it.

To me, the eye makes her that but more special :)
 
my late, great, highland pony Archie had very little sight at all. He had congenital cataracts, which we found out about after he had been backed and ridden away. He was amazing, the vets thought he had about 20% sight in one eye and very limited sight in the other. They couldn't believe he led a normal life with no special allowances and was the best hack I've ever ridden. Never spooked at anything and would even jump, went out on his own etc. People of all ages rode him, until his untimely death aged 10. I wouldn't hesitate to have another, although I probably wouldn't want to pay much for one.
 
Meeko said:
Thank you for all your helpful replies!

Sorry in the delay, the eye issue is due to a accident when she was a foal, its not a on going problem and she deals with it fine, she can be a little more spooky but thats about it.

To me, the eye makes her that but more special :)
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In this case if you like the horse I wouldn't let it put you off :)
 
Meeko said:
Thank you for all your helpful replies!

Sorry in the delay, the eye issue is due to a accident when she was a foal, its not a on going problem and she deals with it fine, she can be a little more spooky but thats about it.

To me, the eye makes her that but more special :)
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Go ahead if you love her
 
poiuytrewq said:
I agree with goldenstar. You need to know for sure it's a stable condition. I had one that lost 50% vision in both eyes suddenly and she was a bit spooky for a couple of weeks and then was perfectly ok.
I've currently got a horse with uvietis and its progressively got worse. He's currently unsafe to be ridden. We've gone from horse of a lifetime to probably retiring a 6 yr old
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I am sorry you have to go though the uveitis thing it's awful .
 
Thank you. What a horrific illness, not just "a bit of a sore eye from time to time" as old owners told me. It's hell and awful. Ours has had his eye removed now recently but I fear the damage is done and like I say he will be retired. On the plus side I still have his cheeky little face to kiss each morning so maybe I'm a lucky one? Never again :(
 
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