FIGURE 1. My Beloved Blind Horse TJ
Since in some cases concepts presented in later sections of this website build upon concepts presented in earlier sections, the material on this website is most effective when all sections are read from start to finish in the order presented, as opposed to reading individual sections out of sequence and out of context.
Section 1.0: TJ, the Little Blind Horse Who Has Helped So Many To See
Section 2.0: Goals of this Website
Section 3.0: Intended Audience
Section 4.0: General Comments
Section 5.0: Bringing A Blind Horse Home to a New Environment
Section 6.0: Minimize Changes to the Horse's Physical Environment
Section 7.0: Regular Routine is Important
Section 8.0: Training a Blind Horse to Find the Location of Water in a Pasture
Section 9.0: Training a Blind Horse Using Long Lining
Section 10.0: Riding a Blind Horse
Section 11.0: Miscellaneous Loose Ends
Section 12.0: Other Related Websites
Section 13.0: Questions or Comments?
Section 14.0: Special Thanks
Section 15.0: Woefully Necessary Legal Disclaimers
Section 16.0: Permitted Use of Copyrighted Material
Section 17.0: MAKE A DONATION
This website is dedicated to TJ’s Khan (“TJ”), a retired Standardbred racehorse, now blind from
Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), with whom I have the very great privilege to share my life.
I am proud of this simple normality that TJ and I share, because at the time I rescued him, I never could have imagined such an end, for TJ will never see the glances and waves of the passersby. TJ is blind.
Prejudices in the horse world tend to classify a blind horse as unrideable by default. Those blind horses that are fortunate enough to find a home, or keep their current home, typically live out their lives as a companion horse, a pasturemate that keeps other horses company.
But homes for companion horses are few, and despite his gentle disposition, no one wanted to adopt an old, blind, unrideable horse. TJ spent five years of his life in rescue on a foster farm, awaiting the loving home he was so deserving of. When I heard his story, I decided I didn't want this special animal to spend another moment without a permanent loving home of his own, and I adopted him as a companion horse for my other rescue horse, Henry.
To my surprise, I saw much of myself in TJ - the same independence, stubborn determination, and plain bull-headedness that wouldn’t allow anyone to say something could not be done. I knew TJ’s heart, because I knew my own. No, this was not a horse that would ever be fully happy just grazing in a pasture all day.
And so it was that I climbed onto TJ’s back for the first time. From the moment of that first ride, our trust in each other has been complete and unconditional. There is no degree of separation between him and me when we ride. We are one animal; he is the legs, I am the eyes.
TJ’s story has appeared in newspapers and on television news programs here in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. He has shown many people that every living thing deserves an opportunity to reach its highest potential, and that maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t be too quick to judge what the disabled are and are not capable of. He is the little blind horse who has lifted the veil of ignorance and prejudice from the eyes of many.
But in the end, beyond this greater good, in our hearts TJ and I know the simple truth of the matter. We are both too stubborn to have anyone tell us we can’t do something, and perhaps too naive to even let it enter our minds that we can’t do it. He will be my riding partner, my friend, my kindred spirit until such time, a time of his choosing and no one else’s, when he truly wishes to spend his day grazing in that pasture.
It is my sincere hope that the information on this website will:
The information on this website is intended for individuals experienced with seeing horses who would like to increase their knowledge of blind horse care, training, and riding. This website provides information and equine techniques that are specific to blind horses. Basic horse care, equine safety, training and riding techniques that are not specific to blind horses are considered to be prerequisites to the information on this website and will not be explicitly discussed. Readers who lack basic fundamental knowledge and experience in seeing horse care, equine safety, training and riding techniques should consult with a qualified equine professional to gain such knowledge and experience and should not attempt any technique discussed on this website prior to doing so. Blind horses are special needs animals that should not, for the safety and general well-being of both you and the horse, be handled by individuals lacking a good foundation of equine knowledge and experience with seeing horses.
4.1 Since in some cases concepts presented in later sections of this website build upon concepts presented in earlier sections, the material on this website is most effective when all sections are read from start to finish in the order presented, as opposed to reading individual sections out of sequence and out of context.
4.2 I have included on this website any and all information that I thought might be helpful and useful to an owner of a blind horse. In so doing, given the website’s length, it might appear that caring for a blind horse is a daunting and overwhelming undertaking. Based on my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I can honestly say that caring for and working with my blind horse, TJ, is infinitely easier than caring for and working with my seeing horse, Henry. TJ has a loving, gentle, good-natured, and tolerant disposition which makes working with him a joy in every way at all times. Henry has a much less tolerant nature and a few too many ideas of his own, and while a good horse overall, tends to be much more challenging to handle, whether on the ground or under saddle. Blind or seeing, the general nature of the horse is key to your enjoyment of your equine experience.
4.3 In my mind, once you and your blind horse have worked out a day-to-day system that works for both of you, owning a blind horse isn’t much different than owning a seeing horse. It is my hope that the information and techniques which I discuss on this website will help you establish a day-to-day system that works for you and your blind horse, although given the differences in people and horses, certainly your day-to-day system may evolve into one quite different from mine. Still, if nothing else, you will hopefully get a few ideas from this website that you can try with your blind horse. Keep what works, change or ignore what doesn’t, and before you know it, you and your blind horse will have a day-to-day system of your own worked out.
4.4 The information and techniques discussed on this website have been successful when handling and working with my blind horse TJ; however:
4.5 This website captures my experiences with TJ over approximately a one-year period after I adopted him from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation in Freehold, New Jersey. Do not overwhelm yourself or the blind horse, or risk your safety or that of your blind horse, by attempting all of these techniques in rapid succession all at once. The development of the relationship and daily routine between you and your blind horse requires time, and the amount of time will differ from horse to horse. Allow your blind horse to determine the pace at which your relationship and day-to-day routine develops. Be fair in your expectations of your blind horse; for example:
4.6 I encourage you to give a blind horse every opportunity to live up to its fullest potential, and to help it live the fullest, most normal horse life possible, but FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOUR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY MUST BE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT ALL TIMES. Use good common sense and stay within the limits of your equine skills, and work under the supervision of an experienced equine professional for areas where your equine skills may need further development. If you are uncertain whether you have the right equine skills to work with a particular horse, blind or seeing, have an experienced equine professional assess your skills against the skills he or she thinks would reasonably be required to work safely with that particular horse. Because of their size, there is, in my opinion, no such thing as complete safety being around horses. Even so, poor judgment on your part can put yourself needlessly at increased risk of injury.
This section pertains largely to rescued blind horses that are being brought home to a completely new and unfamiliar environment, but could apply in some respects as well to a horse that is already familiar with its environment but has newly gone blind or has recently undergone a reduction in its visual acuity (for example, horses that are going blind progressively over a long period of time through disease).
5.1 Remove any stray objects a blind horse could unexpectedly trip over from the blind horse’s corral, run-in shed,
and stall (see Figure 2). At worst, colliding with an unexpected object may result in direct injury to the horse,
or spook the horse, causing it to injure itself or you. At best, colliding with an unexpected object will cause a
blind horse unfair and unnecessary stress.
5.2 Place day-to-day essentials like the blind horse’s hay, feed bucket, salt lick, and waterer side-by-side along a single wall of the barn, run-in shed, or stall so that when the blind horse finds one, it knows the others are nearby (see Figure 3). In addition, all are off to the side where the blind horse will not inadvertently trip over them.
5.3 Check the environment for sharp or protruding objects, holes, etc., that could injure the blind horse.
5.4 To help ease the blind horse’s transition to its new environment, if the blind horse is new to you, if possible try to spend some time with the horse at its current home prior to transporting it to its new home so the horse can get to know you.
5.5 If the horse has specific healthcare needs related to its blindness, educate yourself on those care needs, as well as related costs, before you must be responsible for caring for the horse on your own. If a disease caused the horse to lose its eyesight, educate yourself about the disease and any continued effect the disease may have on the horse. For example, painful recurrences of uveitis, though infrequent, could affect your horse’s demeanor until the episode passes and the horse feels better; this could be several weeks or several months.
5.6 For your safety and the horse’s safety, be prepared to tranquilize the blind horse when it is first introduced to its new environment in the event it becomes necessary to do so. Depending on the nature of the horse and how easily it stresses, it may not be a bad idea to administer a low dose of tranquilizers in advance of moving the horse to its new environment.
5.7 Give the blind horse time to adjust to his new environment and to you.
5.8 Allow the horse to explore its new environment by itself at its own pace under your supervision. Ultimately, exploring on its own is the primary way the blind horse will become familiar and comfortable with its normal surroundings.
5.9 Don’t try to introduce too much, too fast. Let the observed comfort level of the horse set the pace for introducing anything new. For example, I didn’t attempt to introduce TJ to the pasture until enough time had passed (several months) that I felt he was completely comfortable with his corral first.
6.1 A blind horse will eventually memorize its normal surroundings and will get around quite well as long as its normal surroundings are not changed.
6.1.1 Unexpected changes cause unfair stress to the blind horse and risk direct injury to it or can spook it, risking injury to the horse or to you.
6.1.2 Doors and gates which are normally kept open will be expected to be open by the blind horse and must remain open at all times
6.1.3 Gates should be opened outward (away) from corrals and pastures so the blind horse doesn’t stumble into a gate it doesn’t expect to be there (see Figures 4 and 5).
6.1.4 If cleaning while the blind horse is in its corral, keep wheelbarrows and muck buckets outside of the corral, or behind an object of known location to the blind horse, so that the blind horse doesn’t inadvertently stumble into a wheelbarrow or muck bucket that it wouldn’t expect to be there. See Figures 6 - 8.
6.1.5 If you ride your blind horse and use a portable mounting block, the portable mounting block should be set up immediately before mounting and moved out of the way of the blind horse immediately after dismounting. See Figure 2.
6.2 One of my favorite sayings since I adopted a blind horse is, “Walls and fence lines are your friends.” Generally speaking, any object placed along a wall or fence line, once a blind horse has learned its territory, will be safely out of the way of the blind horse, and the blind horse will not trip over or collide with the object. That is because the blind horse will already know that there is a wall or fence line there, and will be proceeding with caution in the vicinity of that expected wall or fence line, regardless of the presence of the unexpected object. This method will not work immediately after bringing a blind horse to its new home, as everything in the blind horse’s new environment will be unexpected until it becomes thoroughly familiar with its new surroundings, but it’s an excellent rule of thumb once your blind horse has gotten settled in.
6.3 If an object that is not part of the horse’s normal day-to-day environment must be kept temporarily near a blind horse, develop a system for letting the blind horse know something is there.
6.4 Even experienced horse people, such as farriers, may not be used to being around a blind horse. Always supervise anyone working with or around your blind horse and discourage them from making sudden unexpected noises or leaving equipment where the blind horse could trip over it and injure itself.
7.1 Regular routine has a calming effect on a blind horse. The horse can have an increased comfort level because it knows what you expect from it and what it can expect from you.
7.2 To minimize the chances of spooking a blind horse while you are working with it, talk to the horse to give it a heads up that it will be touched before you touch it, and then touch the horse gently with a small part of the halter, fly bonnet, blanket, etc., to give the horse an idea that something will be put on it before attempting to put it on (See Figures 9 – 12).
7.3 Use the same corral and pasture for the blind horse consistently so that the blind horse is always in familiar surroundings.
7.4 Help the blind horse maintain its orientation within its surroundings.
7.4.1 Use the same path between the blind horse’s corral and its pasture consistently (see Figure 13).
7.4.2 When turning out a blind horse into its pasture, release the blind horse in the pasture always at the same location so it knows where in the pasture it is.
7.4.3 When bringing the blind horse back in from its pasture into its corral, follow the reverse of the path followed when turning the horse out, and always release the blind horse in its corral at the same location so that it knows where in the corral it is.
7.4.4 When feeding, rap gently a few times on the feed bucket to guide the blind horse to it.
8.1 If a blind horse is brought to a new home during the hottest summer months, you will not be able to turn it out all day unattended in a large open area like a pasture on an immediate basis, because the blind horse, like all horses, must have water to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and it will not be able to find the water consistently within a large open area with which it is not familiar.
8.2 Training a blind horse to find the water in a large open pasture is CRITICAL if you plan to turn out a blind horse unsupervised during hot weather. Otherwise, it is really hit or miss (mostly miss) whether your horse will be able to find water or not. Not being able to find water during hot weather could jeopardize your horse’s health, and its life. If you do not plan to turn out the blind horse in a large open pasture unsupervised during hot weather, you can probably safely skip this section of the website.
8.3 You should start the blind horse’s training several months before you actually plan to turn out the horse in a pasture unsupervised during hot weather.
8.4 The horse waterer should be placed along a fence line, not in open pasture. The blind horse can use the fence line to help it locate the waterer, and the possibility of the horse tripping over the waterer is essentially eliminated.
8.5 Before you can begin this training, the blind horse must already be comfortable with always being released at one specific point in the pasture when it is turned out (see Section 7.4.2). You are essentially teaching the blind horse to find its way from Point A (the normal turnout point in the pasture) to Point B (the location of the waterer). The blind horse must know where Point A is within the pasture before you can attempt to teach it to find Point B.
8.6 Steps of the training exercise, to be repeated several times daily are:
8.7 Be aware that more dominant pasturemates can bully a blind horse and may cause the blind horse to lose its orientation within the pasture, making the blind horse unable to find water, even after trained. A blind horse cannot see the body language instructions of more dominant horses, so a more dominant horse will sometimes physically herd the blind horse and cause the blind horse to lose its known location within the pasture. A blind horse can typically only find the water relative to its known position. If its position within the pasture becomes unknown, the blind horse will be unlikely to find the water. It may be necessary for the blind horse and more dominant pasturemates to be turned out separately during warm weather months.
8.8 When in the pasture on hot days, as a security blanket TJ usually grazes in the immediate vicinity of where he knows the waterer to be.
Seeing horses are often trained using a single lunge line, particularly here in the United States. The difficulty with lunging a blind horse on a single line comes in primarily with regard to the inability of the trainer to give direction to the horse through the trainer’s body language. In a herd, horses are used to being given direction such as to speed up or to move away through the body language of other horses, particularly that of the most dominant horse in the herd. Knowledge and use of such body language is a great boon to the horse trainer, and the lack of this training tool is a disadvantage that needs to be compensated for.
The greatest difficulty to manage is when the blind horse turns inward (toward the trainer) more than is desired, making a single lunge line in use slacken. Body language can typically be used with a seeing horse to direct the horse outward again, but this same method cannot be used with a blind horse. Light touches with a lunge whip can be used to give a blind horse direction to move outward, but I have found this not to be the most effective approach, and has the unfair side effect of potentially startling the blind horse with unseen and thus unexpected touches of the whip.
I have found that a lunging method used commonly in Europe, long lining, can be used successfully to train a blind horse and gives greater confidence to the blind horse during training and greater control to the trainer, despite the inability of the trainer to use body language to give direction to the blind horse in training.
9.1 Long lining is similar to lunging with a single lunge line in that the trainer uses one single line. However, for long lining, the lunge line is considerably longer than a typical single lunge line (hence the name of the training technique). The trainer holds the line such that effectively the single line acts as two independent lunge lines, one shorter on the near side of the horse to the trainer (the “inside rein”), and one longer on the far side of the horse away from the trainer (the “outside rein”). The single long line works so much like two independent reins that it can in fact be replaced with two separate lunge lines. I did so out of necessity, because it is nearly impossible to find a true long line for purchase in the United States, so little is the technique used here. I purchased two lunge lines, and cut a good portion of one of the lunge lines off for use as the shorter inside rein. The Swedish horse trainer who works with me and my horses, Annelie Beck, kindly brought along her long line that she’d purchased overseas for use in the photographs in this section.
9.2 The inside and outside rein of the long line can be used to closely mimic reining of the horse by a rider, enabling the trainer to give effective direction to a blind horse in training.
9.2.1 Figures 19 and 20 show the position of the inside rein, outside rein, and trainer relative to the horse. Of course, all this would be reversed if one wanted to have the horse’s direction of motion be opposite of that shown.
9.2.2 Figure 20 shows the position of the outside rein as seen from the far side of the horse (the side away from the trainer which is not visible in Figure 19).
9.2.3 Tension applied by the trainer to the outside rein can be used to direct a blind horse that is turning too much toward the inside (toward the trainer) outward again.
9.2.4 Tension applied by the trainer to the inside rein can be used to direct a blind horse that is turning too much toward the outside (away from the trainer) inward again.
9.2.5 Talking to the blind horse during training both reassures the horse and, since lunging involves the horse moving
in circles around the trainer, helps the blind horse maintain its position relative to the trainer since the horse can
use the trainer’s voice to estimate the trainer’s location and adjust its own location relative to it.
I am not going to say that every blind horse can or should be ridden, as not every seeing horse can or should be ridden. What I would say is to keep an open mind, and not immediately assume that a horse cannot be ridden simply because it’s blind, assuming it is healthy enough for riding in all other physical respects.
10.1 The importance of a horse’s eyesight in riding
It seems reasonable to me that the ability of a horse to see is not wholly necessary to the riding process. It is, after all, our seat, balance, weight distribution, legs, and reining which give direction to a horse when riding. Why must the horse see? Why is it then that in the horse world blind horses are almost always universally considered unrideable? It just doesn’t make good logical sense to me. A horse, seeing or blind, that is obedient to its rider is inherently safer to ride than a horse that challenges the will of its rider, and in my opinion, it is the disposition of the horse and the respect it has for its rider, and not its visual acuity, that determine that obedience.
10.2 How well the horse is handling its blindness matters
I do think with regard to riding a blind horse that it matters how well the horse is handling its blindness. Typically, a horse that has been blind for a long time largely considers its blindness second nature. I don’t recommend riding a blind horse while it’s going through a transition period with its blindness. For example, a horse that has suddenly lost its vision through injury will need time to adjust to its blindness before anyone should attempt to ride it. When my blind horse TJ arrived at my farm, he had the slightest bit of shadow vision in his right eye. I knew in time he would lose that bit of shadow vision to the uveitis which had taken the rest of his vision, and so when TJ started walking into objects he’d previously avoided, and was much more agitated than was normal for him, I knew he’d lost that last bit of shadow vision, and was going to need some time to adjust to the idea of total blindness. During that transition period, I didn’t ride him. During that time, I was just his mom, and I gave him all the emotional support he needed to get through the changes he was going through. Once he’d adjusted, I went back to riding him again, and he was ecstatic to do so.
Also, whenever TJ is enduring a painful episode of the uveitis that had caused him to lose his sight, I don’t ride TJ. These episodes are relatively infrequent, but can last from a period of weeks to several months, and during that time TJ is just not feeling like himself. Even with treatment (a combination of eye drops), uveitis can cause internal eye pain, headaches, and general inflammation and soreness of the eyes. When any of us are not feeling well, we don’t conduct our day-to-day business nearly as well as we do when we are feeling well. The same is true of horses, and to ride a horse during such a time is both unfair and unwise.
To be able to assess how well the blind horse is handling its blindness, one has to know one’s horse very well. Someone who owned their horse prior to its going blind has an infinite advantage over someone who rescues a blind horse, although it all evens out over time as the new owner of a rescued blind horse gets to know their horse. To be able to detect transition periods in a horse’s blindness if and when they occur, one must have been around the horse a sufficient time to know what’s normal for that particular horse. As such, I would never recommend rescuing a blind horse and immediately jumping on its back for a ride. It might work out, but I think more so it’s largely a recipe for disaster.
The bottom line is that if the horse is not handling its blindness well without a rider, it would probably be foolhardy to try to ride the horse at that particular point in time. I would recommend giving the horse some time, and perhaps doing ground work with the horse until such time that you observe improvement in the manner in which the horse is handling its blindness.
10.3 A firm bond of trust between a blind horse and its owner is a must
Before ever attempting to ride a blind horse, one needs to have established a firm bond of trust with the horse, and trust takes time. How much time will vary from horse to horse. I trust my blind horse TJ 100% under saddle and on the ground, and I know he trusts me 100%. By the time I even thought about riding TJ, I knew him as well as I knew myself. I knew he would never do anything to endanger me, and TJ knew that I would never put him in any situation that would endanger him. If you don’t have that kind of relationship with your blind horse, don’t get on its back.
10.4 To the extent possible, try to determine from rescue organization records and prior owners the training received by the blind horse and how the horse was used throughout its lifetime. Attempt to verify this training and to assess the horse’s response to human direction FROM THE GROUND FIRST before attempting to ride the horse. If any training information you received about the horse was inadvertently inaccurate, or the horse no longer responds well to human direction for any reason whatsoever, it is best to find this out BEFORE you are under saddle. It’s a much shorter fall from the ground to the ground than from the saddle to the ground.
10.4.1 Tack up the horse, remembering to be considerate and give the horse a heads up that it is going to be touched as described in Section 7.2. What is the horse’s response to being tacked up? If the horse becomes unusually agitated when tacked up, then it’s probably best not to ride it at that particular point in time, and do more ground work with the horse until the horse reacts normally to being tacked up.
10.4.2 Give direction to the horse using gentle reining (in accordance with whatever training history you have been
able to ascertain) while walking beside the horse (see Figure 22). Request various combinations of left turns, right
turns, and halts. Is the horse responding properly to the reining commands being given? If the horse is unusually
nervous or is not responding correctly to the commands being given from the ground, then it’s probably best not to ride
the horse at that particular point in time, and do more ground work with the horse until the horse reacts normally to
reining commands being given from the ground.
10.4.3 Work the horse on a long line as described in Section 9.0 as yet another way of evaluating from the ground, before getting under saddle, the horse’s demeanor and responsiveness to human direction.
10.4.4 Always reassure the blind horse with positive verbal reinforcement each time it responds correctly to your reining requests from the ground, whether when walking beside the horse or working the horse on a long line.
10.4.5 If the blind horse is not responding correctly to your reining requests from the ground, or if the blind horse is unduly nervous in response to your requests, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE IT, and continue working with the horse on the ground until such time that it responds normally and correctly to your requests.
10.4.6 In my opinion, a blind horse that has a history of proper training and that currently responds calmly and correctly to reining requests from the ground has excellent potential to be successfully ridden.
10.5 As discussed in Section 5.1, if you use a portable mounting block, the portable mounting block should be set up immediately before mounting and moved out of the way of the blind horse immediately after dismounting.
10.6 While riding, always provide positive verbal reassurance to the horse that it is safe and responding the way you want it to. This verbal reassurance may become unnecessary the longer you ride your blind horse, but initially the blind horse will need it for its own self-confidence if it has never been ridden since it went blind.
10.7 I ride TJ with a bareback pad and no stirrups purely as my own preference and for no reason relevant to his blindness (see Figure 21).
10.8 Blind horses compete successfully in dressage (see http://www.valianttrust.org/quest.html) and barrel racing competitions, so keep your mind open to the potential within your blind horse. I ride TJ for purely recreational purposes, mostly because of his age, not because of his blindness.
11.1 Echolocation, similar to that used by dolphins, whales, and bats, is sometimes used by the blind to navigate their surroundings. For example, Ben Underwood, a blind teenager, makes clicking noises and uses the resulting sound reflections to determine the exact location of objects in his environment and successfully navigate around them with accuracy approaching that of a seeing person (see People Magazine, July 24, 2006, “The Boy Who Sees with Sound”, pages 80-84, by Alex Tresniowski and Ron Arias). It is my sincere belief that TJ also navigates his surroundings using echolocation to at least some degree. My theory is supported by the fact that TJ seems to only collide with objects in his surroundings if I am speaking or the wind is blowing exceptionally strongly across his ears, both of which can mask sound reflections in his environment.
11.2 TJ is easily spooked by wind and storms, so I check three local weather forecasts every morning, and if any one of them forecasts any kind of inclement weather, I do not turn out TJ in the pasture that day. I leave him in his corral, where he has the greatest familiarity and the maximum comfort level, and access to his run-in shed.
11.3 TJ is also spooked by the sound of gunshots, so I do not turn out TJ in the pasture during firearm hunting season here in New Jersey. I leave him in his corral, where he has the greatest familiarity and the maximum comfort level when he inevitably hears the gunfire of nearby hunters in the area.
11.4 Leading a blind horse using the underside of its halter (as opposed to a lead rope) provides stiffer, more direct guidance to the horse and allows it to be led more confidently (see Figure 15). Since there is a more frequent need to lead a blind horse as compared to a seeing horse, I typically leave the halter on my blind horse at all times, and leave it off of my seeing horse. I always use breakaway halters on all my horses, seeing or blind, for their safety.
11.5 To minimize stress to the blind horse when hauling it, use a horse trailer that has a ramp (as opposed to the step-down type) and is enclosed to reduce the horse’s exposure to wind and road noise. The trailer should be in good condition and not make excessive rattling noises.
11.6 The nature of pasture companions is important to the safety of a blind horse (as well as to the blind horse’s ability to find water as mentioned in Section 8.7). Blind horses tend to be submissive to other horses by default. Blind horses are typically the so-called “low man on the totem pole” in the herd. This pretty much means most, if not all, other horses with which the blind horse has contact will be dominant to the blind horse. If the dominant horse is good-natured and polite to the blind horse, this does not pose a problem. A seeing horse that is a bully may seriously injure your blind horse. For its safety, a blind horse should never be turned out with a bully seeing horse.
My seeing horse Henry was so dominant with TJ that when TJ was not responding to Henry’s body language commands, which of course TJ could not see, Henry unintentionally physically herded TJ right into the pasture fence on one occasion. After I witnessed that, I decided for TJ’s safety it was best not to turn the two horses out together. Instead I turn them out in side-by-side corrals, so they can socialize, but Henry can’t inadvertently injure TJ.
11.7 Always be mindful of avoiding sudden, unexpected sounds of any kind, as innocent as the sounds may seem, to avoid startling a blind horse.
11.8 A blind horse’s ability to respond to a verbal “whoa” without any physical intervention by its owner is extremely helpful in preventing bad experiences for it colliding into walls and objects. On the rare occasions when I observe TJ about to bump into something, a firm verbal “whoa” from me typically stops him dead in his tracks and avoids the collision.
11.9 Generally speaking, blind horses are smart enough to proceed cautiously when navigating their environment and are quite successful avoiding known objects in their environment. Even so, despite all the very best of intentions on your part, a blind horse will from time to time bump into things and acquire a few minor scrapes. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Do what you can to minimize the severity and frequency of such incidents, but beyond that, give yourself credit for doing the best you can for your blind horse and accept that it is the nature of horse ownership, seeing or blind.
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