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Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana5
Post Number: 18
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 12:41 pm: |   |
Hello all,
Recently I adopted three old guys from a rental ranch.Tey were left unattended as they did not produce any more money.
One is blind on the right eye, the other one is blind on the left eye and one is...well blind on both eyes. I have them separate from the rest of the horses and they are fine. My question is would it be better to send them to horse heaven? Can they be happy in darkness? They do not seem stressed at all, we always keep the water and feed bowls in the same place. They are putting on weight, from the hanger racks they were when they arrived.
You see, that is why I keep asking for help, it is so unfair what happens to this animals, so humiliating to be abandoned and thrown away like rubbish when they cannot work any more!
I am down today... |
Fran C
Member
Username: Canter
Post Number: 400
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 12:49 pm: | |
Liliana,
First, bless you for taking care of these horses!
If these horses are content and putting on weight and otherwise healthy I see no reason to put them down. Run a search on blindness...not too long ago, there were some great posts on what other members have done to help their blind horses adopt to the dark. Really great advice and quite inspirational.
Try to cheer yourself up knowing that you've done a wonderful thing for these new members of your family. |
Shirley A. Johnson
Member
Username: Shirl
Post Number: 314
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 1:04 pm: | |
Liliana,
I second Fran's comment. What you've done is nothing short of a miracle for those horses. They adopt very well from what I've read. You've just earned your angel wings.
Shirl |
Sue G
Member
Username: Warwick
Post Number: 273
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 1:21 pm: | |
Liliana, you have a heart the size of Texas. |
Susan Jeys
Member
Username: Sjeys
Post Number: 17
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 1:25 pm: | |
Type in blind horse on google and have fun going through all the great stories of blind horses who have fantastic lives; including a dressage winner. You do have to make some allowances for them but two folks in our neighborhood have them (in varying stages of blindness); and both happen to be ridden. Good luck to you and your horses. |
Angie
Member
Username: Ajudson1
Post Number: 350
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 1:57 pm: | |
Bless your generosity Liliana!!! I see no reason why these horses can't adjust and adapt. Sounds like they are doing fine already under your care. The 2 with sight in one eye may very well have useful careers perhaps as lesson horses, or horses for handicap riders.
So heads up, you are making a difference.
(((HUGS))) |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana5
Post Number: 20
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2006 - 9:46 pm: | |
Thank you sooo much for your support. It hurts so much not to be able to get through to people, I know in some cases they are so poor that they cannot feed themselves let alone the animals. But these guys make a bucket of dollars!!!!
Sh.t makes me mad
Thank you guys it's nice to know you are there  |
barbara
Member
Username: Oscarvv
Post Number: 718
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006 - 8:32 am: | |
So glad you found these three amigos!
They sound like they have adapted very well and you are doing all the right things for them. I know of plenty of horses showjumping with one eye.
-B |
Nancy S. Kaplan
Member
Username: Redalert
Post Number: 291
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006 - 9:55 am: | |
Hey Liliana
I have a horse who is blind in one eye, and he is JUST FINE. He lost the eye almost three years ago, and he does not miss it a bit! You will be able to tell how the horses are by the way they gain weight and move around with each other ... as I'm sure you are already seeing for yourself. God bless you in your efforts. I think you are someone special.
Nancy |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 14761
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006 - 10:43 am: | |
Hello Liliana,
I would base my decision on whether they seem adapted and content and whether you have the resources to care for them.
DrO |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana5
Post Number: 23
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006 - 5:12 pm: | |
Thank you Dr. O as always very sound advice.
Mmmm and then there were ten, including Champal the 8 month old colt. So far we are fine, they are settling well, we have three boxes with running area which used to be nursery area, but as we are not planning on more babies,(not that we did before!) it seems to be just right for them not too big they go in for shade share their grass no problem. So God willing we should be fine!
Thank you all so much, I just get frustrated at times!
All the best
Liliana |
Terri Granick
Member
Username: Spyke555
Post Number: 4
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Feb 12, 2006 - 2:06 pm: | |
Lil- Just for moral support, I ride a TWH that is blind in his left eye- we go everywhere! He is beautiful, bred to the nines and gaits like a crazy man/great motor! He hurt his eye as a younster so does not really "know"....My biggest challenge is that if I put him with the more assertive geldings, the pecking order takes over, and they know he is limited- they get mean and actually work as a team to corner him...so I just keep him with his q/h buddy who is also low man/laid back. Other than that, I would say his instincts/alertness are honed, but he is trusting and sensible- I do limited/modified Parelli exercises with him - it does help him use his brain- but since he uses the right eye for everything. round pen and lungeing I don't do with him. He is amazing and no one notices his eye until they get close- it is bluish like a moon eye and he a dapple grey....Keep the faith- hope you can ride the ones with single vision and they could "earn their keep" as trail buddies. The fully blind horse will do great too if the layout and placement of water, etc you have him in now does not change and get him "confused". They are usually very trusting of their keepers and love attention! |
Gail
Member
Username: Mcgee
Post Number: 13
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, Feb 12, 2006 - 3:12 pm: | |
Liliana,
Thank you on behalf of all horses and horse lovers for being the kind of wonderful person that you are!!! I know these three special souls will fill your life with much love.
Four years ago I had a TB filly born missing her right eye. Last Spring, this filly won her first race and when she went over the finish line, you could hear people yelling "the one-eyed filly won!!" This wonderful filly actually turned her head over her shoulder to see how close the competition was!
When I was researching this problem after her birth, I came in contact with a well known Kentucky breeder (through the Interne)t that had a mare born without BOTH eyes. She told me that she gradually lowered the ground level in the filly's paddock starting about 6 feet from the fencing and that way the filly learned that when the ground started slanting, the fence was coming.
This Kentucky mare was the daughter of the famous Alydar, and produced a son that raced and stood at stud with good success.
It sounds like your three guys are going to have a wonderful and well deserved life with you and your family.
You will never regret your kindness....
Gail |
Holly Wood
Member
Username: Hwood
Post Number: 974
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, Feb 12, 2006 - 3:53 pm: | |
Well said, Gail . . .
Everything we say and do reverberates in consequences . . . When those consequences are hurtful, then there are regrets (though there is forgiveness, which is a lesson in itself) . . . If one of our life goals is to act and speak in love, then the guilt from poor choices is lessened . . .
When it comes to making choices about following dreams and decisions that will effect me and others, we can't know the future, but the question, "When I am on my deathbed, will I regret doing, or NOT doing, 'blank,'?" or "Will this choice result in hurting or helping?" is often a good test . . .
Liliana, you don't yet know all the personal and extended blessings that will come from your loving actions. My bet is that they will be more than you can count. |
Aileen
Member
Username: Sunny66
Post Number: 1053
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, Feb 12, 2006 - 9:30 pm: | |
((((Hugs)))) to you Liliana |
WTG
Member
Username: Angel77
Post Number: 170
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, Feb 25, 2006 - 12:59 am: | |
Dear Liliana,
If all of the people in the world were as big hearted as you, the world would be a better place! I think it is so awesome that you took in these 3 horses.
I will tell you from personal experience a horse with one eye is just as great a one with two eyes.
My horse lost his eye in June of 2005. He too was bred in Kentucky to run. He is a direct descendant of Alydar and Native Dancer. He never raced although he loves to run and jump high.
I was so worried he wouldn't be the same horse after the enucleation but as it turns out he is even better.
He listens much better than he ever did. He is more sensitive to my commands while I ride. Best of all he will jump anything I ask him. He is back jumping 6 fence gymnastic lines up to 3'9 including triple bars and large square oxers.
He hasn't missed a beat. I have known him since 2000 and bought(rescued) him in 2002.
I am sure both horses with one eye can possibly be ridden if there are no other issues such as lameness. The blind horse can be ponied by either of the two bilaterally blind horses or another horse that he/she trusts and gets along with.
I pony my 30yr old mare as I ride my bilaterally blind horse. They both love being out and around together.
Creating a bond with these horses sooner rather than later would be beneficial for all involved. Which I am sure you are doing.
Trust and love are obviously the two most important hurdles to jump only because you just got them. Once you do, they will never forget you and they will do anything for you.
Just hang in there. You may find they are the 3 most loving horses you have ever had.
Good luck,
WTG |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana5
Post Number: 46
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 7:41 pm: | |
Thank you all soo much!
Well good news, the guys are settling well, Bo (blind on left eye) who’s name comes from tree in Mayan is not aggressive now, he was so scared when he arrived that he was like a spinning top, with flying legs! has appointed himself as the boss, and he is looking great, Ginger (blind) is such a happy go lucky kinda fellow, he’s so sweet natured… and Merlin (blind on right) is still a bit shy and was poorly today with what they call a urine colic! It’s totally new to me. He was obviously in pain, white gums, uneasy breathing, down on the ground, but not rolling, but luckily when I went to check on him at midday he seemed fine! So fingers crossed that it won’t happen again! It seems to be a backlash of all the hardship they endured for so long.
Thank you all again, your support gave he the strength to carry on with what seems to be the hardest and sometime pointless battle!
God bless
Liliana
BTW I watched a great movie the other night Seabisquit, has any of you watched it? |
Leilani Clark
Member
Username: Leilani
Post Number: 113
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 10:27 pm: | |
Bless you Liliana and yes Seabiscuit was a great movie. Leilani |
Nancy S. Kaplan
Member
Username: Redalert
Post Number: 314
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 10:00 am: | |
... From that great movie, Seabiscuit, Liliana, "You don't throw something away just because it's broke!" YOU have done a great job, it seems, of doing just that!
Nancy |
Tonya Bauer
Member
Username: Pbauer
Post Number: 71
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 9:47 am: | |
Dear Liliana...you are truly an amazing person!
My prayers and very best,
Tonya |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana5
Post Number: 57
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 6:29 pm: | |
Hi everybody,
I thought you might like to know a sweet encounter that happened yesterday.
William whom I had for three years now (yes another rescue) has the same branding as Merlin (blind on left eye) so what happened was that I let the guys roam about free for a while and of course they met with the blind guys and William stopped for a minute had a proper look at Merlin then came closer, rubbed noses for a bit and then they started wither nibbling with such affection They seemed to remember each other! It made me cry it was so sweet to see them.
And then trouble stroked the girls started to flirt with Bo and of course Chechen the alfa boy did not approved at all! But it was great to see how they reacted on their first meeting.
Champal the 9 month old colt when he saw the blind guys began to open and close is mouth a bit like when we girls put lipstick on.
Horses aren't they great! |
