My one-eyed paint, Lace

[Jenks]

Does anyone have a horse who's either missing an eye or blind in one eye? I bought a horse who lost an eye and we're getting to the point that she'll turn toward her blind side. It's quite a thing, and I am wondering about anyone else's experiences. She is superb. Not hardly a flaw behavior and riding wise.

[buffy_vampire]

I know a horse who lost his eye when he was just a baby! he was running around the pasture and got caught in the fence and lost his eye and it was unfixable so they just took it out! i always wondered about it so i asked them and they said he does wonderful just like a horse with 2 eyes! he runs barrels and poles and never makes a mistake! :eek:

[clipclop]

My instructor told me just the other day about a horse she trains that has just one eye.

He used to hold his head in a certain way when he was ridden. So that he could see on his blind side. However over a period of time his confidence grew and he doesn't do it any more.

[Ehley]

hey there
I have a quarter horse mare who lost an eye..when riding her let her have her head and give her slack because she only can see from one eye she has to use her good eye to look left and right
good luck with her

Peace

[frenchtrotter]

i knew a horse that hunted with one eye, didnt seem to affect him in anyway!!

[Jenks]

She's just becoming confident enough to not need "her head". I let her have it out on the trail, but not in the arena while actually working. Nice to hear that there are others out there that don't throw a horse away for it. It had been brought up to me that most people sell them to the meat market after that. :mad: :eek:

She's perfectly fine, it was hardly any problem at all to tell you the truth-just a little work on turning toward the blindside. Totally understandable, considering. A few mechanics to work on-she hadn't been ridden English in more than 4 years when I got her-one lesson last weekend was pretty impressive. Truth is, I need more training than she!

[chev]

I've got a one-eyed gelding. He has an odd head carriage too - he tips it to one side and plaits with the opposite front foot. He'll usually bend quite well to the blind side though.

We're hoping to start him driving this year.... fingers crossed. First step will be getting him to lunge properly - he's never been very happy lunging on the blind side. Hopefully we'll crack it this time. We'll see.

[Jenks]

I haven't lunged Lacy -our round pen is closed in and indoors. I don't think she'll do well. She doesn't need it for me to get on her. It would be nice to do just for excercise on days I don't ride her. I might try it on a line outside to see how she does.

Do you all have any photos? Here's one of Lace when we first brought her over:

[Jenks]

Here's the side missing the eye. It was stitched shut.

[Susara]

sorry for the bit belated response, but here goes. My Y/O had a _wonderful_ TB chestnut gelding that had lost one eye in an accident. He must have been at least 5 when it happened.

This horse was known to be willing to jump anything you pointed him to, I think he was competing Adult B's, if not A's. Huge jumps that would scare me just by looking at them. It's amasing if you think this horse had no 3D vision at all, and couldn't see anything for almost half of his normal field of vision - and still he jumping competitively.

Tragically he snapped a tendon whilst competing; he still wanted to first complete the course, snapped tendon and all! As one person put it; "he'd complete that course on two legs if you gave him half a chance". Having to put him down was terrible for his owner, but that horse would have pined away if he had to be retired.

[Miriam]

Yep I know a lovely grey called Connie who is blind in one eye. She carried on working right up till this past year when she was sent away to see if she would foal. Unfortunately she never took and is now back with her owner in retirement I believe.

[berties-girl]

I have a friend who breed her horse and started eventing him then due to an infection he had to have one eye removed, but she is still eventing him though she does have to take the long safe routes on the xcountry course at corners are a bit of a problem for him but apart fromt hat he carries on with his dutoes as normal.

[chev]

This is Gelfy's dodgy side - his eye wasn't removed, but it's shrivelled up and completely blue now. For now I'll leave well alone, but sometimes I wonder if I'd be better to have it removed as the flies really bother him at times.

Lacy is lovely - such a kind face!

[Jenks]

Susara-good story-thanks for sharing! Sounds like he had great spirit! I had read that horses do not have 3-d vision even with 2 eyes because of the placement on their heads. I will have to double check that.

Gelfy is gorgeous! Lacy's eye got infected after a thorn stuck her in the eye. She was on anti-biotics at the time and it still got infected. What does the vet say? I would think eventually they'll advise removal.

Lacy is now boss mare in her new pasture. I was worried about her getting picked on, but I guess I didn't need to worry. She is fairly indifferent toward adults (me), but she'll follow my daughter (6 years old) around the pasture without hesitation. She seems to be really attached to her. Many many people have tried to interest me in breeding Lace. I am thinking on it. She was a broodmare at one point in her life and also a lessons horse.

[roxycutie]

If the horse has lost his eye, then his other senses will strengthen. :) Horse is a horse. And a beauty at that. :D ;) :)