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Re: [RC] blind horses - heidiAnd don't forget, John Lyon's famous horse Zip was blind and still performed clinics and all sorts of things! I have heard when they have blindness issues they can often still be great trail horses as if the horse has enough trust in his rider he will do whatever he is asked. Several on RC are familiar with our old stallion Abu Ben Surrabu (aka "Junior") who gradually lost his eyesight over a period of years, and who completed his last 50 after the total loss of his eyesight. He completely trusted that he would be directed by his rider, and Paul or I could actually communicate the terrain to him with our own body language. I also rode him at an exhibition as a turnback horse for a cutting demonstration after he was completely blind. Prior to his total loss of eyesight, I vividly remember riding him up Cash Mountain at the Santiam Cascade Ride, when he was completely blind in one eye and had very limited vision in the other--he could not see the small down logs in the trail (they were a bit like stair steps) but it only took one or two for him to figure out how high to lift his feet in response to me lifting just a bit on the reins. He is still incredible in the way he adapts to his blindness in his daily life, and if he were not so up in years and suffering from an old knee injury to boot, I'd likely still be riding him. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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