would you buy a horse which had one eye?

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izzyxxx

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well title says it really i have just seen a lovely gelding for sale just broken in riden away but it says that it has only had one eye since birth. I was wondering if it would be a good move as i understand that it might find more things scary as well as this my field is on a HILL and thats not just a gentle slope its a wopping hill my mare can manage up and down it when i first got my sec D he went down on his bum but in the end was up and down it as if he had been able to do it all his life. Would love to hear your thoughts please
 
i personally wouldnt, although i guess it depends what you want it for, happy hacker maybe, but not a competition horse for me!!
 
I personally wouldn't but I know a horse who lost her eye through an infection at the age of 16 and to be honest she was no different after losing her eye to before, the owner ade more fuss than the horse, so if he has been born without an eye, he should be used to it
 
We have one here on livery and he is fab- jumps everything, wins dressage, show jumping and xc. Also happily jumps BE pre novice fences and he is only 5 yrs old!He cost £10k as a 3 yr old and the owner bought him for £700 when he lost his eye.
 
the first horse i ever rode only had one eye. lost it when it was a foal by some loose drift wood spiking it out (got the name drift wood!) anyway i was about 3 and the farmer who owned took up the mountains on lead rein everyday to herd the cattle (was on holiday in australia) was an angle so depends on the temperament. i would have thought that it would be fine and used to it if it was bron with only one eye!
 
It depends what you want to do with the horse? If its just for hacking etc i would say go for it if its perfect for what you want. I too have only one eye and yes it did take a while to get used to having had two for 30 years!! but now its like ive had only one all my life. If the horse was born with only one eye then it wont know anything else. It wont have had to adapt as its all its used to. Yes you do have to be wary approaching them etc and be aware that they are blind in one eye but aslong as you keep yourself aware i think you'll find the horse very versatile. Just find out why it was born or got only one eye and make sure its not from a disease that is likely to affect the other eye. You dont say whether it was just a deformaty at birth. Like you said your other horse found your field difficult at first but is used to it now and i think you'll find the blind horse does just the same.
 
thankyou for coments sorry ment to say at the begining would only be for hacking as i dont really go to shows. stinkbomb it doesn't say why he has lost an eye its not really a very detailed ad all it says is hes had one eye from birth, so if i decide to ring up then i will definatly ask!!!!
 
Go for it! I'm a wuss at jumping, but I've jumped my highest, around 3ft3t, on my friend's one-eyed pony. If you have to approach it from the other side then just make sure you talk to it to make sure its aware that you're there
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There used to be a one eyed horse on the circuit, I spoke to the people because I have a mare with one eye and they said the only difference is they can't turn tight towards the blind side because obviously they wouldn't see the fence in time but they wouldn't swap the horse for the world.

I love my one eyed horse and it doesn't affect her in anyway at all, I lovingly wipe out her dust and mud that gets in the socket and she really enjoys it. It was abit strange at first because the muscles still blink etc but their is no eye. I think in the past 4 years she walked into the corner of the barn once but it was when I was leading her and I turned the corner tight and the barn was on her blindside but it was my fault because I was leading her and she trust me (bad mummy!) if she had been walking herself she would have never walked into the barn!
 
Cairo had one eye removed when he was 11 due to cancer - never stopped him doing anything - riding out after dark, SJ, dressage, XC - he is also probably one of the most bomb proof horses you could meet.

The only things I do is when riding out with other horses or leading off him, have the horse on the eye side. He also likes to move his head slightly to one side when jumping. I also make sure that doors etc do not slam onto him on the blind side.

I would most definately consider an one eyed horse unless I wanted to do high level showing.

Cairo has actually done well despite the empty socket at local showing and still continues to do so in the coffin dodgers class.

The only thing I would want to know is why the eye is gone - Cairo still gets cancer in his one remaining eye, and the vet bills are not cheap - we plan on £2000 - £2,500 every three years - but he is worth it.

If it was cancer, then I would be concerned purely based on Cairo's experience.
 
Horses had blind spots anyway so surely you just take in to account his blind spot is bigger? I doubt it would hinder his ability much just need keep in mind of the bigger blind spot. He wouldn't of known anything else anyho.
 
We had a lovely pony down the RS he was getting on a bit and one day he came in with a damaged cornea (I think anyway). He went off to Langford and the said he would have to have it out. After he got used to it he did really well, still jumped etc but yes, he was a bit spooky.
It depends on what you want to do I suppose, if you want to be out and about competing then no, maybe not
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there was a horse at the show I went to the other weekend that only had one eye, didn't stop him doing anything.

My old YM has a horse that is blind in one eye ( i know it isn't quite the same but same principle) and she does everything too, although she gets a bit jumpy if you approach on the blind side other than that she is bombproof!.
 
I went to talland the other week, they had a well schooled horse that had one eye, not only was he amazing in the school, he seemed to be the most wonderful little chap too, i wanted to take him home!!!
 
Ty is blind in right eye but I suspect he's been like that for a long time!

It actually has advantages - he's bombproof in traffic and is not a spooky horse at all, but I always ride out with a schooling whip just incase he doesn't see traffic coming up.

He jumps well - I believe there was a top eventer that was blind in one eye?

Only downfalls is that he generally has more minor scrapes on his blindside and you should always lead on seeing side so he knows ur there. Also talk to him the whole time I'm in his stable so he doesn't jump!

I'm not sure if I'd have brought him knowing he was blind tho.....although in hindsight I'm glad I did.

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