"could do 100 mile rides - except that he's blind in one eye and not sure I would want to ride him in the dark." Donna, I'm sure you have read the recent threads about all the blind in one eye horses that have been great 100 mile horses. Please don't let that keep you from doing 100s. My one eyed horse never had a problem in the dark. He finished many 100 milers. Cindy Collinsc_collins@xxxxxxx
Maybe it's just my particular horse. He really really depends on me to pick the trail and to help him rate his own speed if there is a problem coming our way. The biggest problem is similar-looking ground that has hard dirt sticking up or trenched trails that catch his feet. He can see to jump over logs and rocks. I'm starting to teach him cues (like 3 little lifts of the rein to slow down) and then I give him his head to "see" and we do ok. If I let him just pick the trail and/or speed over a section - he invaribly chooses wrong. He barges through it. He's very brave and "forward" to his own detriment. If he barges over bad ground he can't see, he could trip. Perhaps he is in-experienced in picking his own footing on a trail or perhaps he just likes for me to do it. I'm not going to take a chance and have a bad fall by letting him "figure it out". At least not when going at speed. Maybe it's ME who has the problem in the dark - for by then I'm getting weary and not able to watch the trail for him as carefully. I also have this little fear of falling from spending too much time in emergency rooms & hospitals after horse accidents on other horses. But for all that, we still manage to finish.
