Anyone have any experience with a horse

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CKC

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This is big horse related so it may get moved to the back porch, but I would also, like to hear if anyone has had experiences with any horse whether it be a large horse or a miniature horse? This is a riding horse that I am considering. He is a 2nd level dressage horse and was jumped in the past, but is no longer jumped since his eye was removed.

I have been told he is quiet. He's not a beginner horse, but that he is ok for an intermediate rider. He has excellent ground manners. The owner is still riding him and says he doesn't spook anymore then a full sighted horse does.

I am going to see him tomorrow. My friend is going to ride him since I have sprained my ankle.
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Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Kim
 
ME ME ......one full sized and one large pony.......not sure what you want to know exactly
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as long as the sight isn't bad in the remaining eye they often make great riding horses if that has been their job all along.......the main issue is they have a quite literal "blind side" so always try to approach from the good side or at the very least make a point of announcing yourself......I actually have had experiences with many blind horses and almost all were very safe and sane but you do have to talk to them........

Lets see the pony went on to be a first horse for a little boy who was blind as his leadline pony and they did well enough together that they were able to ride in a nice arena without any assistance from anyone.........

The horse I knew ended up eventually retired as a companion for another retired horse who needed company........

If you have any specific questions....ask
 
Thanks... I guess just advice right now. The information you have given is very helpful. I want to consider giving this boy a home, but am nervous because it's something I have never dealt with. I may have specific questions after my visit with him tomorrow.
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Kim, I have now a mare with moon blindness. I have had her for several years but she only developed her blidness 4 years ago. The 6 months afterwards she did ok, then she began to stumble but was still very trusting of me, I had alwyas been her only rider, her stumbling developed into an insercurity and she became frightened easily unless I worked with her EVERY DAY but she still stumbled. I have since retired her to pasture and stopped riding as she did eventually begin to spook ,even though she had never done it before but even with the most trusted relationship between horse and rider a frigthened horse without sight can be very dangerous. Sometimes spinning to get look at what ever moved with her better eye. I had an older horse with one eye about 8 years ago, he too stumbled alot. he never spooked though.

Depending on what you want the horse for, from my experience you should be prepared to work with him on a daily basis, rain,sleet,snow or shine, whether its 120 degrees or 40 below. A handicapped horse is a big comitment. He may not spook but if he does, chances are he will spin to use his only eye or panic so dont ride along drop offs. But I would count on stumbling,eventually down the road, even if he doest do it know. Hope this helps. Jamie
 
Not me, no, but my friend did.

She had an app that was a hunter/jumper named Frosty Britches and went completely blind when he was about 8 years old. She continued to jump him successfully and said she even liked him better that way because he listened to her a lot better that way.
 
My 29-year old mini mare has one eye.

She's always had just one, or at least as far back as anyone I've known could tell me, probably longer than twenty years.

She does not give any indication of having missed the eye. She carries her head normally and also sees just fine w/the sighted eye.

We don't really make a lot of special accomodations for her, and oftentimes it goes unnoticed b/c her forelock covers the missing eye.

Not sure how she lost it or when, but she's very well adjusted.

Liz M.
 
I have a friend who owned the nicest little palomino mare. He used her for a team roping horse for several years and then a freak accident took her right eye. Luckily he was a heeler so she only needed her left eye on the steer any way. He gave her to his 9 year old son about a year after she lost her eye and he went on to ride her until her retirement when she was 20 and he was 18. She was always easy going, not at all spooky, even though she was hauled to different arenas and such constantly while rodeoing. I never knew her to trip (although she was mostly in an arena) so I'd say try him out and see what you think. She was an awesome mare with one or two eyes so I guess it just depends on how the horse reacts to the situation.
 
My husband's riding horse is a big Paint mare who used to be highly competitive at barrel racing at one time. She is blind in one eye and handles it very well.

She trail rides now and tips her head a bit to compensate. And like Runamuk said, we are careful not to approach her on her blind side without making our presence known.

MA
 
We used to have a team with one horse blind in one eye. We always drove her with the blind eye on the inside. It was never an issue driving as a team. As a single that was another matter. The animals not able to put its confidence in you 24/7. If this was a horse I already owned I would insure her well being was taken care of. Used as a companion animal , pet whatever, or just as a brood mare. Buying an animal with a severe limitation (and it is a severe limitation) is another story. Its an obligation I would not take on lightly. Unless you only intend to ride (or drive) in a ring or arena it has the potential to be a dangerous situation. There are so many good horses around commiting yourself to one with a sever limitation sould be considered with much care and forethought. I know a person who loves horses and has space and means to keep two. This woman used to live to trailride. She only trailrides now when she is invited along with her neighbor and borrows one of their horses. She has two horses, one a severly foundered three year old gelding and the other was injured in a car horse collision and can hardly walk due to a severe leg injury. She takes care of her horses but is not able to use either one of them. Thats kind of sad. Do not get yourself backed into a corner just because you feel sorry for the horse. Easier to say no now rather than view it as a load to carry later on. Get a horse you can use and enjoy.
 
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I think it really depends on the particular horse's disposition and whether it's able to deal with the loss of partial sight. I have a mini who lost an eye due to a melting corneal ulcer a few years ago. He was fully trained for every show event before he lost the eye, and I was worried that he'd become unusable afterward. I was totally wrong--he adapted perfectly, and without missing a beat. We still show him in every event, including obstacle and obstacle driving. As one of the posters mentioned above, I think that he is even better in obstacle now, because he has to listen to me - he has a fiesty personality, and before he lost the eye, he'd have a tendency to 'take over' if I didn't watch out. He has won many World top tens in driving and obstacle with only one eye. We've also driven him outside on trails a lot, and he is perfectly fine there, as well. He has never spooked once since he lost the eye, but I'm sure that that's partly because he had a lot of trust in us beforehand and he still has that same level of trust. The only difference I notice - and it is small - is that when I am free lunging him, he does not like going with his eye to the outside.

I would recommend seriously considering this horse. I think that you will know when you see him ride whether or not he'll be okay. The first time I drove my horse after he lost the eye, it was like there was no difference at all. If this horse is the same, from my experience, he'll be just fine for you. (If he spooks a lot, however, maybe not - I don't have experience with that, so it may be that horses who are spooky at first adapt just fine after awhile.) Also, I've naturally had a lot of conversations with horse people about his loss of an eye, and I've heard many, many stories about similar horses - from grand prix jumpers to reliable pony club mounts to pleasure horses, there are many great horses who have only one eye.
 
I've emailed you, of course! I hope it works out and if so, I can hardly wait to meet him!!! No matter how much bigger he is, I think Surprise will be the boss of him
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I have dealt with a few over the years. blindness in both eyes is much more of a big deal, partial or complete, than one eye only. I'd want to make darn sure he isn't developing cataracts or something in his good eye (vet check using opthalmascope, not just a flashlight!)... also, there will be less problem if you intend to continue using him as a dressage (and it sounds like he could be a good teacher!) horse than if one would want to make a trail horse out of him at this point... the bigger the changes in his life, the more adjustments he will have to make and the less he will be in his own "comfort zone" where he has already learned to compensate. There would be a period of adjustment coming to a new home regardless of his lack of sight on one side, it may take a bit longer, and caretakers and handlers will have to always always always keep in mind that he needs to know when someone is approaching or about to handle his blind side.

it is extra effort, but in my experience can work out OK as long as his blindness and his limitations are always kept in mind. Good luck!
 
Good points everyone! and this is exactly the advice I was looking for. It gives me things to think about and things to ask the owner. We use the same vet so I will call her and get his history on his other eye as well and probably have it checked.

The owner is commited to finding him the right home. She is moving back to England and based on the price to ship him there she is trying to find a really good home here. So that's a great thing. At least, I know that I don't have to feel obligated to take him because if she doesn't find the right home she will make arrangements to take him with her to England.

Marty---- do you know how they were able to traithat horse to continue to jump blind? I am so dissapointed that this boy(his name is Ben.
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) isn't jumped anymore. She made it seem like you shouldn't, but it sounds like it's all based on the horse.
 
I had a quarter horse back when I was a kid who was blind in one eye. He never missed a beat!! I jumped him and rode trails with him and never had any problems at all. He was a great horse and I still miss him all these many, many years later!!
 
We had a mini that lost an eye going through the bush didn't stop her from driving or anything else it's amazing how well they can handle themselves and adjust. After a while even coming up on her blind side wasn't a problem if you talked to her.
 
I own a cute little Doc's Prescription mare that lost her eye in an accident. She was one of the best "cow" pony I ever had and even served as a "in a pinch" barrel mount for my niece, one eye and all. She is coming back out of the broodmare band to serve as my daughters mount next spring.

A lot depends on the age of the horse, the level of training before losing his eye and of course the temperment.

I really see no reason he couldn't be jumped anymore. If the other eye is ok I would start with some small jumps and see how it goes.

Frenchmans Guy, one of the premier barrel sires in the nation, ran successfully for years with only one eye.
 
Thanks again everyone.

I just went and rode him. He is a really nice quiet boy. When I first saw the area where the eye was I was a little suprised because I thought for some reason the area would be closed together, but it wasn't. After a while I didn't even pay attention to it. He has an incredible canter and will give you the correct lead as soon as you ask. I think he will make a nice horse for us. I felt so bad for the owner. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I wish the circumstances were different and she could keep him because she really loves him.

Now maybe I can take some dressage lessons.
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I am so glad you are giving him a chance. I had a pacing mare that was just awesome and had her eye removed due to a degenerative disease. We were very nervous bringing her back to the barn and didn't really hold a lot of hope that she would race again but she never missed a beat. I was careful at first to line her up straight coming out of her stall, things like that so she wouldn't bump her hip. Never noticed a difference just jogging her and she went back into training and went back and raced and was just as awesome as she was before. She set the track record for aged pacing mares at Hippodrome Montreal with one eye and I think her record still stands!!!
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Just a bit more insight .....my friend has a mostly blind stallion he gets around great is kind and gentle and can see some movement and shadow we believe his blindness is injury related.......

I have also dealt with 3 ponies who were blind or moon blind they also were great......

For those who don't know it.......John Lyons appaloosa stallion that he uses for his bridleless exhibitions etc.......is completely blind and has been for years...

so glad to hear you hit it off....yay
 
I got an APpy mare for my 16th birthday and she was blind in her left eye. You could still mount her on her left and I used her in Gymkannas doing barrel racing , pole bending and stuff like that and she always wanted to take everything with her left side. As lon g as she was fine with it so was I. I tried to get her to take stuff to her right and she wouldn't, she would spin around and go left. I guess it depends on the horse. As everyone else has said let he/she know your coming and click a little to get her attention. I will be fine.

Christy
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