Foal born with no eyes :-(

Stinkbomb

Stinkbomb

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I hope this postdoes not offend anyone or upset anyone. That is not my intention. And i am in NO WAY critisising what these owners have done in this situation. I read today about a foal who had been born with no eyes and was PTS. My question is if this had happened to you would you pts? I have no experience of breeding and im really not sure what i would do but if the foal is healthy in every other way is it cruel to keep it alive?
 
Yes, I would definitely PTS. If an older horse who gradually went blind and was coping, probably not.
 
How an earth could a foal, a flight animal, be kept without eyes.

Take emotion out and consider what you would have.

That foal would be terrified, unlikely to stand because sight and balance are linked. How could it possibly be cared for.

Tragic shame but an instant pts for me and the mare offered as a foster mare immediately.
 
I don't know, if he was healthy in every other way and I had the time to work with him, I don't think I would put him to sleep. He wouldn't know any other way of living or the fact that others can see so he would find ways of getting around. It has been done before you just have to find other ways of communicating but if you work with him from the moment he was a foal, I think he could still live a happy life with hard work and dedication. He would naturally be much more wary than other horses and more prone to injury.

Although obviously he could never be properly ridden. Saying all of this I don't know what I would've done in that situation.
 
MegStables said:
I don't know, if he was healthy in every other way and I had the time to work with him, I don't think I would put him to sleep. He wouldn't know any other way of living or the fact that others can see so he would find ways of getting around. It has been done before you just have to find other ways of communicating but if you work with him from the moment he was a foal, I think he could still live a happy life with hard work and dedication. He would naturally be much more wary than other horses and more prone to injury.

Although obviously he could never be properly ridden. Saying all of this I don't know what I would've done in that situation.
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I don't mean to be funny but - you can not be serious!!!
 
Having worked with a horse that was born with no eyes i would say no providing it was healthy and the mare accpeted it. The horse i worked with was inprinted and when weaned give a mini shetland which had poor back legs as a buddy and they now live together. He is also ridden and competed in dressage at a low level.
 
MegStables said:
I don't know, if he was healthy in every other way and I had the time to work with him, I don't think I would put him to sleep. He wouldn't know any other way of living or the fact that others can see so he would find ways of getting around. It has been done before you just have to find other ways of communicating but if you work with him from the moment he was a foal, I think he could still live a happy life with hard work and dedication. He would naturally be much more wary than other horses and more prone to injury.

Although obviously he could never be properly ridden. Saying all of this I don't know what I would've done in that situation.
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So you're going to be with it for 24 hours every day for the rest of its life?

Honestly, I do sometimes wonder how some minds work as they certainly don't ever think about the quality of life for the poor animal but that's OK, they're keeping the poor blighter alive, what could be better than that. :mad:

To OP, I wouldn't have to think twice.
 
MegStables said:
I don't know, if he was healthy in every other way and I had the time to work with him, I don't think I would put him to sleep. He wouldn't know any other way of living or the fact that others can see so he would find ways of getting around. It has been done before you just have to find other ways of communicating but if you work with him from the moment he was a foal, I think he could still live a happy life with hard work and dedication. He would naturally be much more wary than other horses and more prone to injury.

Although obviously he could never be properly ridden. Saying all of this I don't know what I would've done in that situation.
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You are having a laugh.

He is blind. What are you going to do, give him a guide dog to get him through stable doors, gates, barbwire fence, other horses, find his water, tell him not to fall over. I must stop, if I say what I want to I will be banned.
 
Definitely PTS. Know a stud that had this a year or two ago and same 0 foal was immediately PTS. Horses can survive with one eye but there is no way one could live happily with none!
 
Surely this is a joke?

Someone would keep alive a flight animal of the size a horse will grow to, born with no eyes?

Words fail me.
 
Yes, PTS stright away and hopefully as others have said find a foster foal for the mare. Foal has no concept of its mortality. Goodness knows what other abnormalities may be present. An adult horse (or often donkey :) ) that has gradually gone blind can often be kept happily - depending on the animal in question. I have seen quite a few donks in their 30's going blind but otherwise healthy and happy - they know their environment and where everything is so were quite content. A newborn is totally different.
 
WelshGal said:
Having worked with a horse that was born with no eyes i would say no providing it was healthy and the mare accpeted it. The horse i worked with was inprinted and when weaned give a mini shetland which had poor back legs as a buddy and they now live together. He is also ridden and competed in dressage at a low level.
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Whoever was in charge of making this decision has some seriously flawed ideas...

MegStables said:
I don't know, if he was healthy in every other way and I had the time to work with him, I don't think I would put him to sleep. He wouldn't know any other way of living or the fact that others can see so he would find ways of getting around. It has been done before you just have to find other ways of communicating but if you work with him from the moment he was a foal, I think he could still live a happy life with hard work and dedication. He would naturally be much more wary than other horses and more prone to injury.

Although obviously he could never be properly ridden. Saying all of this I don't know what I would've done in that situation.
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No words really for either of you two. PTS immediately. Horses rely on sight for everything, from relationships in the herd, to - you know - not dying walking around their pasture... Keeping a blind foal alive is probably never going to end well, I see no possibility of any quality of life.
 
Sportznight said:
Yep, I'd do the same - for a horse, dog, cat or any animal really. What quality of life does a blind animal have? Especially a flight animal!
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Ive known a few blind dogs who cope very well and doing obedience training. But, its a different ball game for a horse.
 
Pts without a shadow of a doubt, extremely upsetting for all involved but the only viable option. Sadly the small but very real risk you take when breeding any livestock.:(
 
PTS without a shadow of a doubt. I cannot conceive of the mind that thinks keeping such a foal alive is a kind option.
 
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