[FatPalomino]

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20425-1927.jpg

You see that white opacity a little bit below the middle of his cornea? That's a scar (from what original injury I will never know) and very potentially a blind spot. I know a grand prix jumper from Europe who could cart a monkey around and win, refuse to jump at all after developing a similar lesion. Only time will tell how it affects this 6 year old, with no over fences experience.

I would have preferred that Willie come back to me with a few other things and not a scar on his cornea, but I still heart him very much, as does my (not so fat) Palomino:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20425-1928.jpg
Being able to go hug my horses is something I am very grateful for.

On a different note, I should catch up with PM's this weekend. Your guys are simply amazing. I'm just utterly exhausted and completely drained. I feel like I have been run over my a freight train. Twice.

[Tehzebra]

Oh dear Seems like a terrible situation to be in. I hope things turn around for you sooner rather than later.

If it helps any, my horse went blind in one eye at 6 and he is perfectly fine n normal.... the scarring is a lot more obvious than this. Jingles for your pony! And yourself! Keep us updated!

[kookicat]

If it helps, I know of at least two horses competing who are blind on one side.

Jingles!

[MunchingonHay]

I know a 4* eventer with only one eye. He has a plastic left eye.

[FatPalomino]

I'm a bit skeptical of how it will affect a greenie just learning. Sigh. Here's to hoping for the best.

[EquineImagined]

I'll be optimistic for you. He's got no OF experience, so any exp he gets will be with any limitations this gives him. Rather than having to adapt to jumping with a blind spot, he'll just learn to jump...with a blind spot. Not relearning something he already knew and had confidence in, instead learning something new and gaining confidence in it as is.

I have faith. If a completely blind horse can learn to navigate an obstacle course guided by the rider he trusts, there's hope for your guy too.

Or to be completely out of character kinds of optimistic, many jingles it's 'superficial' with little to no effect on vision whatsoever.

Hugs and jingles all the way.

[EqTrainer]

He is young and therefore has probably already learned to ignore it. Dink has one, too. Never bothered him a bit.

But still, I know

[abrant]

I have, apparently, a HUGE scar on one of my corneas (it scares my eye doctor every year, ha!, spinning backwards on his roll-y chair)

I know when it happened but not how (no health insurance, working in a barn, irritated eye, wore sunglasses for a week mostly because it looked terrible, it got better, no problem. My eye doctor hates it when I say this because he never fails to remind me that I easily could have gone blind in that eye).

It doesn't impact my vision at all, I didn't even know about it until years later when I finally had the $$ to go to the eye clinic for a routine check-up. (He said "Have you gotten hit in the head, like, really hard?" which was a weird thing to hear).

My point is, have faith, the way mine looks on examination, I should have reduced vision, but I don't. I've also been assured that my eye is stable as far as the scar goes so it won't cause additional damage.

Here's to your future sucess and I will happily share some of my dumb luck with your guy!

[FatPalomino]

Thanks guys. When I was talking to a friend last night about it, she reminded me her primary foxhunting horse is completely blind in one eye from a cataract (and you would *never* know by watching him go), although she reminded me he lost his sight after he was well broke and knew his job.

As soon as I get the little guy's feet http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...Picture4-9.png in decent shape, I'll see if he even learned anything while at the "trainers". The most recent story is that she took a lot of people's money and did a whole lot of nothing with their horses. If the condition of his mane when I got him back is any measure of how much he was ridden, I'd say we're probably planning on picking up exactly where we left off the last time I rode him:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture6-11.png
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture5-10.png

An hour or two off the rig, I had half of his winter coat off and pulled his mane so the other horses wouldn't laugh at him
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture7-10.png

[Long Spot]

Well, bollocks, FP.

Keeping fingers crossed for you too.

When you do get a chance to catch up on PM's. hit me with one with what we chatted about before.

[BasqueMom]

Was Willie the $50 youngun from the feedlot many moons ago? Or do I have
him confused with another horse?

[EqTrainer]

Dont worry FP.. We will get the feet fixed up in a few days!

[AliCat518]

Wow. The trainer/trimmer had him looking like THAT?!? Whew, I really feel for your whole situation. Good luck, and that eye might just surprise you!

[oliverreed]

Holy crap, FP. Jingles for the horse and best of luck to you.

[Dispatcher]

This guy was with a "Trainer"? WTF? Sure doesn't look like he was well cared for. Hope you weren't paying this "trainer".

I'm sure you will get him up to speed in no time.

[ChocoMare]

Oy... -- but while those feet look awful, they'll trim up and come around right quick.

((( Hang in there )))) We've got your back.

Offer always stands: you need anything, you holler

[Personal Champ]

Well... I know what you are thinking about the no experience, possible blind spot training thing.

However, playing devil's advocate, it might be better - because he will learn to jump not knowing there is any other way... know what I mean? It may have been more disturbing to be jumping around, then go blind - sort of like what you don't know you can't miss!!

Fingers crossed for a happy resolution to all your recent traumas.

[quietann]

Well... I know what you are thinking about the no experience, possible blind spot training thing.

However, playing devil's advocate, it might be better - because he will learn to jump not knowing there is any other way... know what I mean? It may have been more disturbing to be jumping around, then go blind - sort of like what you don't know you can't miss!!

Fingers crossed for a happy resolution to all your recent traumas.

FP, once again, so sorry you are in this situation!

I agree with others who say that if he is green and just learning to jump, that's better than if he'd already learned and now has to adapt.

(Trump, below, came to his owner as a young, very green horse partially blind in one eye. He was a lovely, talented guy but his vision gave him issues with water, so topped out at Novice in eventing. But he could do a 3'6" course in his prime, with a very forward ride, and I relearned to jump on him. I also learned that I needed to keep talking when grooming him, so he knew where I was. He didn't have really bad problems until his other eye started to go and he started to lose his hearing as well.)

[Alagirl]

Thanks guys. When I was talking to a friend last night about it, she reminded me her primary foxhunting horse is completely blind in one eye from a cataract (and you would *never* know by watching him go), although she reminded me he lost his sight after he was well broke and knew his job.

As soon as I get the little guy's feet http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...Picture4-9.png in decent shape, I'll see if he even learned anything while at the "trainers". The most recent story is that she took a lot of people's money and did a whole lot of nothing with their horses. If the condition of his mane when I got him back is any measure of how much he was ridden, I'd say we're probably planning on picking up exactly where we left off the last time I rode him:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture6-11.png
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture5-10.png

An hour or two off the rig, I had half of his winter coat off and pulled his mane so the other horses wouldn't laugh at him
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...icture7-10.png

Might be a blessing that nothing was done with him.
Not bad stuff to undo!

[winfieldfarm]

Any idea what happened? Is the trainer talking?