Help needed regarding a Blind Horse

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Kate87

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Hello,
I just wanted some advice on an upsetting issue. My Appaloosa gelding has over the last 4 months gradually lost his sight. He was confirmed to have had the start of a cataract in one eye in 2010 and they have just got worse and now he has gone completely blind in both eyes. No vision whatsoever.

Weirdly this happened to my sister's horse in 2010 also. He was also spotted and I have since learnt that appaloosas can be susceptible to blindness. He was extremely good at coping however and we only noticed his blindness when he missed the field gate when we called him in one day. He adapted well and was a calm horse and had a horse who would guide him around! His weight eventually began to drop off however and he would get cast and it was my sister's decision to put him to sleep. At the time I felt we could have tried harder, e.g given him an anti cast roller or kept him occupied so he didnt get bored.

My horse however has always been a bit highly strung so at first I instantly thought we would have to put him down. He started panicking in the field/arena so he became stable bound and my mum suggested we ring the vet and give him peace once and for all. However I began to lead him out and about on the lead and now he is comfortable (and i believe happily) eating grass whilst I stand beside him for an hour or two. This is now in my daily routine after work and at weekends. This I know he enjoys, his ears are relaxed and recently I have been getting all his winter coat off and letting him roll in the arena. But I can only be there for a few hours. In between this time he is in the stable because my family do not feel safe taking him out. He has licks and almost constant food. He always has loved his food but his ribs are beginning to show I think from the pacing he does at night.

I know his time here may be limited but I would like some advice about the situation. Its upsetting to watch him at times and I know its selfish keeping him just so me as a human doesnt get upset. Has anyone been in a similar situation?
 
I am so sorry to read of your situation. It sounds like you are trying hard to find a solution. Is it maybe worth trying your horse with a companion and put a headcollar (fieldsafe) with a bell on it on the companion? You could gradually make the area larger and larger perhaps? Just an idea - I have no experience I am sorry to say other than at a local yard a horse started spooking on one side. The owner had an animal communicator out only to get very upset indeed when the AC said the horse's eyesight was failing. She had her vet out and wanted to sue the AC when the vet could bot recognise a problem.

She moved the horse some months later and it went absolutely out of character and stressed at the new yard. She sent it away to be reschooled and it freaked out at he trainer's yard. It was pts following an accident. She finally conceded that the horse very probably had failing sight as said by the AC which is hard to diagnose and the new surroundings just scared it witless. It had coped with the familiarity of the old yard :(
 
Theres a film about a horse that went blind and it was buddied up with horse that had bell round its neck.It really made me tearful fabulous story. Horse had good quality of life ,not sure how related it was to fact or fiction but it really made me think.Electric fencing that clicked would probably help and other senses would improve.:o
 
Is it Bransby that have a totally blind Clydesdale? He'd lost an eye to cancer, then some evil little **** shot him with an airgun (or similar) and put a pellet in his good eye. :mad:

He has a friend who wears a bell and seems to be happy enough. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the ethics of keeping a completely blind prey animal, but I suppose it depends on the situation.

It's Redwings:http://www.redwings.org.uk/news-boothestar.php
 
Many years ago I had a NewForest mare that went blind. She continued to bred some nice foals and the foals had a small bell around their necks. She was always kept in a small paddock with a field shelter. She lived until she was well into her twenties.

Good luck with your horse. They do adapt to life.

If you can I would get a companion an use a bell.
 
Hi have u had your vet refer you to a specialist? Is surgery an option for you- is he insured? If it is cataracts you can have them operated on- I have just had a polo pony done- cataracts in both eyes and she has made a full recovery, they put synthetic lenses in. It depends whether or not this is an option though.
 
Thank you for your advice. We havent got a specialist up yet Milanesa. We got the vet up yesterday so she could tell me my options and she wants him pts. He was pacing none stop and whacked into the wall when the vet was talking to me. The vet said it was stress walking which he did constantly unless he found his stable lick or my polos! It made me quite upset but she left me time to think. I asked about surgery and she said you then have the task of transporting a blind horse the 20 mins to the vets and the aftercare involves 4 times daily eye drops. Because i was a little upset i didnt ask her about the chances of the surgery being successful on a horse his age(22). She suggested a companion but thought he would collide into the horse and be a danger as he has been taken away from his lifelong friend for a while now. I mentioned using a bell as suggested on here and she said i could try it but i dont think mum would put another horse with him. He is quite a bully kind of horse!
It seems such a shame that a horse who otherwise is 100% healthy cannot go on. My mum is all for putting him to sleep as she doesnt want to look after him in the stable etc. I cannot be there all day every day sadly or i would take him out/keep him occupied more.
Im also going through some personal issues atm so i dont know whether im trying to cling on to my childhood horse as a way to cope. At the moment i feel my thoughts are clouded and i should step back and just let the vet put him to sleep.
 
Despite all the hard work you are putting in, I don't think it's anyway to keep a horse - sorry. And I would have him put down.
 
OP - you have to do what you feel is right. Maybe ask for details about an operation so you have a clear view on whether it could be a viable option or not. The 4 x daily drops may only be for a week or 10 days and maybe someone could assist with that?
You need to make an informed decision for yourself - one that you are happy with. It's never easy and when you have other issues in your life it's even harder I imagine. Don't be too hard on yourself, but give yourself the time to decide properly.
 
So sorry for you OP and I admire the way you are trying so much for him. A lot of people wouldn't bother standing for up to a couple of hours letting a horse graze everyday.

Just wondering if he is the only horse in a stable at night, when he's doing the pacing?
Also I think I read somewhere about people putting a radio on for a horse, a bit of low level noise, voices?

Just thinking of ways to buy you a bit more time.
 
If you can afford it/ have insurance I would get a specialist out to check the eyes properly and give you a definitive idea of whether surgery is even an option- ASAP. Not sure what part of the country you are in if you are south I can give you the details of the specialist I used. If not an option I would say you need to PTS as it is not IMO fair to leave the horse as he is- he is not coping as he is at present. I also have an old old olllddd horse that has lost vision in one eye and losing it in the other therefore I do sympathise with your decision- but when mine gets worse i will make the decision ASAP as quality of life is most important IMO. Sorry for your situation :(
 
Agree with amymay, think about it from the horses point of view, he must be really scared not being able to look out for predators, no friends, stuck in a box etc, whilst you love him, be kind to him and let go, good luck.
 
Let him go, he has no quality of life. It's the greatest kindness we can show to our animals, we owe it to them to do the right thing for them no matter how sad it makes us. :(
 
I am so sorry you find yourself in this situation. We had a fabulous pony mare who we rescued and had 9 awesome years with her. At the age of 32 she began to lose weight and become unsettled. The vet diagbosed blindness. She was turned out in the same paddock and with the same gentle pony for a couple of months and we then made the very difficult decision to have her pts. If I thought she had quality of life I would have continued as we miss her so much, but I know I did the right thing for her. She was both my childrens first pony and although it is nearly a year since we lost her we still miss her. But I would do the same again. My best wishes to you, you will find strength in the knowledge you are doing the right thing for a horse you love.
 
Hello, just thought i would give an update. We left my horse for a while and he got into a routine quite well but continued pacing and we finally put him to sleep yesterday evening. I just gave up really, the specialist after a month got back to us and offered to look at him at our vets 6miles away but we decided he wouldnt travel there well. We arranged the vet yesterday and then asked his advice last minute. i got a bit upset and thought we should put it off. He could see both sides to what we were saying. One - he seemed at the moment not stressed but on the other hand we were just waiting for an accident. he really did look well yesterday and it made the decison even worse. i think it was right though.
 
Sorry to read this, but for what it's worth I think you did the right thing. Some horses adapt fairly well to losing their sight but it sounds like yours was struggling - quality of life is the most important thing, 22 is a good age and I'm sure he had a very happy life with you. Letting him go just shows how much you cared.
 
So sorry to hear this, such a shame and must be heart breaking. It depends on your horse and circumstances really...as to the answer you look for.
If he were my horse, I would have to consider the amount of turnout he could get, how he was in the field and whether I could control his weight safely without hacking exercise.
My lad needs turnout and lots of it or he gets very stressed very quickly, so he would have to be relaxed and happy in his field still - grazing for short periods in hand would not be an option for him.
He has had laminitis in the past so controlling his weight without exercise would be a struggle. Having a companion or buddy horse is not a possibility for me either as my horse would not take to a new horse, never mind if he was blind too. So for me, if he could not have the normal life (turnout wise) and be happy and content in his field I would have to put him regrettably to sleep.
Take care and all the very best.
 
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