Help Blind Filly!!!

[dancer31501]

Hello,

I have a filly that has an injured lefted eye. The vet came out a few weeks ago, we thought it was just a cut, but there was no show even when the vet put the dye in her eye. So the vet put her on meds to try fixing it. She came out this week an said that there is no hope she is blind in her left eye, now remember that is the side you stand on to lead her. She is uncomfortable with you there, she gets very nervous with you there. How can we help her become more comfortable? When she is 3 we want to try driving her will this ever happen, how can we help her!?

Thanks

Amanda

 

[qtrrae]

Hi Amanda,

There have been several instances of people on the forum with blind horses or even with being blind in just one eye. If you put blindness in the search - a lot of information will come up. Hope this helps give you some information. One of my friends has a gelding that is blind in one eye and he drives without any problems.

I'm so sorry about your little filly - she is just adorable!

 

[wwminis]

[SIZE=14pt]Hi Amanda,[/SIZE]

Your baby will do just fine being blind in one eye! She's young enough that you can teach her to lead from her right side where she can see what's going on! She will be able to drive just fine with one eye! We have 2 mares with just one eye, but you wouldn't know which ones they are unless I pointed them out to you! :aktion033: We also have a totally blind gelding that is 22 years old now and does just fine! You can teach your baby anything you want as long as you earn her trust and be patience with her! She will make you very proud of her one day!

:

Bill

 

[Devon]

Just reassure her and go slowly you have lots of time and she's just a baby and will get used to living without the vision in her one eye.

:

 

[Cat Hill]

She will be fine.

If you are relaxed and you don't behave in a nervous manner around her, and you approach calmly and from both sides so she learns how to react calmly she will learn to adapt.

If you are nervous around her, approach nervously or only on her sighted side, she may grow to be nervous too.

I have 2 mares that are blind on the left side. One is a pony mare I got as a yearling and she had a limb blown through her eye in a tornado that took out the whole eye. She doesn't know she is blind. You'd never know it if it weren't for the empty socket. Driving should not be afftected at all since she is so young, as she will adapt much easier.

The other mare was also blinded as a foal. She was given to me by a friend's dad this summer. He was getting out of trail riding and was worried where she might end up since she was not as asthetically pleasing and horse prices are not that good anyway. She has a home for life here and is the sweetest little trail mare. There is nothing these girls "can't" do unless we choose to limit them.

:

Cathy

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree she will be fine- is she still on the mare??

If so, put a bell on the mare and have one for yourself.

When approaching from her blind side jingle the bell gently.

Since she associates the sound with her mother she will not be jumpy.

Then add your voice, use her name and steady baby or some such.

Then remove the bell and just use the voice.

When driving, this is ONE situation where I would say use blinkers as Fred my first Mini drove without blinkers just fine but, when he lost the sight in one eye I had to add them as he pulled to one side all the time.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I will just chime in and say she should be fine. I know it is disappointing and scary but shes going to do better than you could ever imagine. We have a filly who was born with no eyes this July and though we have to be careful to reassure her in new areas and walk the new areas with her she is coming along fine and your filly has one good eye so it is a matter of trust. Rabbit gave you wonderful suggestions but they surely learn to recognize your voice much quicker and once they trust they will do whatever you want. I have no hope of Helen being able to drive but she can do most anything else any other mini can do. We are hoping that she will be a therapy horse some day. Patience patience patience and hands on.

 

[lovinarabs]

We have a blind gelding and he does so well that sometimes I forget he is blind. When they come in for grain they each walk to their own stalls and sometimes he gets disoriented and walks right on by. He might bump into a stall door and then he just stands and waits for me to take him to his stall.

1. In new enclosures I walk the fenceline and always make sure he has a buddy.

2. When approaching him it is VERY important to keep up a stream of chatter so that he knows where I am.

3. He is so trusting on the lead that he will literally walk into a building, so it is very important that any handler know about his problem and not trust him to get out the way of things.

Your little girl with having one good eye, she should be just fine and now she will trust you all the more for helping her over this obstacle.

 

[HGFarm]

We know someone who competes in barrel racing on a full sized horse with only one eye - and he is a trust worthy kids horse!! She will be ok and will get used to it and will do just fine!! Sorry to hear she has lost sight in her eye- can she see any light or shapes at all?

 

[dancer31501]

Thanks so much for all of your help...we do not know how much she can really she but we do know its not a lot...i will try all of your ideas thanks so much!!!

Amanda

 

[MiniLover2006]

I just thought I should add that I have a 18 month colt that is blind in his left eye and it doesn't effect him at all. I can lead him from both sides and he trusts me so much. Just gain her trust and you will have a great filly and a friend.

 

[honeycomb max]

Just to add - i have a gelding that at 6 months we had to have one of his eyes removed due to a lesion. He is 2 now (will be in January) and he is doing great. We were lucky that we had his half brother also - and only a month apart in age when all this happened. Falcon became Tramp's other eye. They are both still here and will always be here (both are geldings now). They are in the little boys pasture - with 4 others - and Tramp is his own man.

Just trust your little girl. She will tell you what she needs.

Millie

 

[Beccy]

We have a large horse mare who is almost completely blind in both eyes, and as long as we let her know when we are approaching her, and there are no sudden drastic changes in her surroundings she does fine. We do try to make extra extra extra certain there is nothing she can catch herself on or trip over, but your little girl having one good eye, should be fine. Good luck with her

 

[~Karen~]

Amanda, sorry to hear about her sight loss. She is a pretty little girl! I don't have much to say and am no expert when it comes to horses at all. But for some more reassurance, I bought a little pony once who people kept trying to tell me that she wasn't no account and that she can't do anything and that she certainly isn't ridable. She was grown when she ran into a tree branch that literally plucked her eye right on out of it's socket (this was told by the auctioneer). She had been blind for 6 months and she was 5 yrs. old when I got her. She was wonderful, and as long as I talk to her and let her know I was coming up (or anyone for that fact, she was fine. It was her lead eye as well, but she was still mountable from that side and leadable from that side. If people ever down her for her blindness, don't listen to them! It isn't true and you can prove them wrong. That, I can tell you. :~)

~Karen