From: Stacey
Hi Jessica. My husband's beloved 13-y.o. Appy, J.D., was diagnosed with bilateral recurrent uveitis this past summer. The news was devastating because we have only had J.D. for two years now and had no idea of this problem until an acute episode. So, not only are we dealing with bouts of guilt but the thought of this beautiful horse going blind is almost too overwhelming emotionally for me at times. We still take him out on the trail and if you weren't aware of the situation, you wouldn't know his sight is compromised. In fact, the ophthalmologist who diagnosed this said that a high percentage of the horses he examines initially are totally blind -- and the owners didn't even know it. Obviously, they adapt extremely well to their situation and to their surroundings. So, taking that into consideration, I would like to ask your professional advice and opinion on two questions. 1. We have J.D. in an outdoor, covered stall area with his buddy, my Morgan mare Flick. There are three stalls, with open panels in the back of each so they can move from stall to stall. We leave the stall lights on at night when we feed them and go out later to turn them off before we go to bed. We've stood and watched him in the dark to make sure he isn't bumping into the panels and he seems to do just great. However, if we speak to him or approach him in the dark, he's not quite sure exactly where we're at, so it's obvious that he's not seeing well. We were wondering if we should consider leaving one of the lights on at night to help J.D. make out his surroundings better. We are concerned it would "screw up" their natural rhythm with light and dark. 2. We are considering purchasing a third, younger horse in the future but are concerned that J.D. might become low man on the totem pole, so to speak. As it stands right now, my mare is alpha and he moves out of her way when she "asks" him to but he is a pretty aggressive guy around other horses. The real question here is, do blind horses react the same with other horses as they would if they could see? We would do nothing to compromise his situation. Thank you so very much for your consideration. You are a very wise woman and I learn more each time I read your articles. Stacey
You should, first of all, stop feeling guilty. It's not at all uncommon for a horse's loss of vision to go unnoticed until its condition approaches total blindness. It's also not at all uncommon for this problem to develop in an Appaloosa horse.
Your horse is a little bit younger than some, but any Appaloosa in its teens should probably be considered "at risk" for developing uveitis and possibly other eye conditions as well. At the local University veterinary hospital, "Is he an Appy?" is a common response to "How can I tell if my horse is developing vision problems?" The bad news is that this is - although certainly not universal - seen frequently in older Appaloosa horses. The good news is that your horse is of a strong, intelligent, independent, adaptable, and highly people-oriented breed, and is obviously already coping with this condition very well.
He's fine on the trail because he is used to taking his cues from you and going where you ask and at the speed you ask. He's not worried about the effects of going blind because he has been going blind for some time now - YOU may not have had time to get used to the idea, but HE has had time to adjust to the reality, and it sounds as though he is adjusting brilliantly.
You ask good questions. NO, blind horses do NOT react to other horses as they would if they could see. If you are going to bring a new horse onto your property, you will need to keep him on the other side of the fence, in a separate field. The fence between the two fields should, BTW, be high and horse-safe. Many people use inappropriate fencing material for horses - anything from barbed wire to high-tensile wire to four-by-four welded wire - and get away with it until a new horse is introduced!
I wouldn't introduce a new horse into a field or paddock with a blind horse - horse language is primarily one of posture and movement, and a blind horse would be at too much of a disadvantage. It's different with his familiar companions - he doesn't have to see them to understand them. With a new horse, he would need to be able to SEE the messages being sent - and SEE how his messages were being received. That's a situation I would definitely avoid. It's not his position on the totem pole that would be the problem, it's the process of determining who is where on the totem pole that you want to avoid.
There's no reason to put a light on in the barn at night, unless YOU want a nightlight to see the horses by. ;-) It won't make any difference to a blind horse that can't see in light or darkness, and it won't make any difference to the other horses, because they have better night vision than you do. In the stalls and pens at night, not being able to see isn't much of a problem - you've already said that he moves easily and doesn't crash into things in the dark - as long as the configuration of the stalls and panels remains unchanged and therefore familiar and predictable. Changing the panels or closing stall doors would confuse him and cause him to bump into things. Talking to him confuses him because he forgets to keep his "stall/panel map" in his head, and thinks more about visiting with you, whether you are standing or walking. If the wind is right, he can tell from your voice and scent where you are - he just can't necessarily relate YOUR position to the position of the stall walls, panels, etc., and that's when you will typically see him bump into walls. He isn't having a problem with light and dark - you've already noticed that for yourself. He is probably having a problem knowing just where you are if the wind is wrong, taking sound and scent away, or if you aren't talking to him all the time.
One thing you and your husband and visitors will need to teach yourselves is how to approach a blind horse. Most of us are careful and respectful when we deal with other people's horses, but it's easy for us to get careless with our own horses! We approach them without warning them, assuming that they will see us and move out of the way. We approach from behind or from the hip, assuming that we don't need to take the correct, more formal approach to the neck and shoulder area. When we do this, we put ourselves at risk - and the risks are much greater when the horse is blind. A surprised horse with wonderful manners may kick out and THEN notice "oh, it's you!" and simultaneously twist to avoid contacting you with its feet - but you shouldn't count on it. A startled BLIND horse, even one that likes you very much and would never hurt you deliberately, may register only the fact that Something Is Sneaking Up On It, and may kick out without knowing that the Something is YOU, and without having any idea that your kneecap is within striking distance of a hind hoof. You can no longer assume anything about what your horse does or does not perceive about your approach, so approach politely, at an angle, moving toward his head/neck/shoulder, and talk to him whilst you do it. If you look at the situation right, it's not a matter of your having to make special concessions, it's more a matter of you needing to follow all the rules that you already know.
If this horse has been losing its vision for some time and is still a cheerful and reliable trail mount, there's no reason he can't continue to be ridden. Your husband should be able to enjoy him for many years to come. As your opthalmologist said, it's not uncommon, and he's coping well, and many horses go blind without their owners even noticing. Your horse sounds like a very well-adjusted, confident, secure horse. And remember, HE IS A HORSE. He is not going to stay up late at night worrying because he won't be able to read any more books. He is not going to be regretting that he never saw Paris or Venice. He is not going to think of himself as handicapped or as an object of pity. He's just going to keep on keeping on, which is what horses DO. Keep him in his same environment, with familiar companions at home and on the trail, and treat him like the horse you know and love, because that's exactly what he is. He won't lose any of his Appy style and personality just because he can't see. He MAY, at some point, become extremely attached to one or more of his companion horses, and not want to be without that horse - if and when this happens, just keep them together so that he can feel secure.
I understand your feelings. There's a blind Appaloosa gelding in my paddock right now. He is in his mid-twenties, and during a long and varied career he was a racehorse, a breeding stallion, a trail/packing horse in the mountains, an eventer, and a dressage horse. Several years ago, he developed uveitis, then glaucoma, lost one eye, then a year later lost the vision in the second eye. He now lives with two friends, in a "herd" of three, and all of them simply accept that he is the leader. He chooses where he will graze, and the others move aside. When he decides that the grass is better on one side of the pasture, he goes there - and the others follow him. When the grazing is low and the horses are given supplemental hay and concentrates, he is the first to be served, and the others stand back and wait until they are given their own feed - there's no grabbing at his! He knows the precise dimensions of the pasture, and will canter around it without fear. If anyone says "STOP" to him, he stops instantly, because he has learned that this is what humans say just before he bumps into something, and he is a highly intelligent horse. The only concession we've made to his blindness was to install flexible vinyl fencing that won't hurt him even if he hits it at speed. Aside from that, he's expected to be a horse like any other horse. He's expected to come when he's called, put his head down for the halter, lead like a gentleman, stand for grooming and hoof-trimming and vet work, remember his job when he's wearing a saddle and bridle, and walk away politely - not rear and race away - when he's turned out. He looks good, eats well, plays hard, hangs out with his "herd", has nice manners with humans, and generally enjoys his life from day to day. He loves treats: Apples, carrots, peppermints of all kinds, and Leo's Choice Cookies.
So just be sensible with your blind horse. Don't put jumps in the field and expect him to walk around them. Don't leave rakes and buckets where he can trip on them (not that you would leave those out anyway, of course!). Be sure that he hears your voice and knows where you are, whenever you are approaching him. Warn your guests, visitors, vet, farrier, etc. that he can't see and may startle easily of someone "sneaks up on him." But beyond that, just enjoy him. He sounds like a lovely horse.
Jessica
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