How do you approach a horse for the first time?

How do you approach a horse in its blind zone?

The positioning of the horse’s eyes on the side of its head creates a blind zone directly in front of and behind it. Approaching a horse in its blind zone will startle it.

How do you work with a blind horse?

When working with them, we also touch them a lot, both for re-assurance and to let them know where we are. You’ll find your blind horse will become very attuned to listening, and will develop what we call the “blind horse tilt” … the head tilted at a slight angle, ears forward, listening intently.

Where are a horse’s blind spots?

These include in front of their nose, underneath their head, under their belly, and directly behind them. If you do have to move into one of these blind spots, make sure the horse knows where you are. Talk to it in a gentle voice and keep one hand in contact with it.

Can a blind horse adapt to its new environment?

In fact, your blind horse may adapt faster to its new disability than you will. Now, to be clear, if your horse was the anxious, flighty kind before going blind, it may not adjust well to blindness. Losing vision may exacerbate its natural nervousness.

How do you approach a horse with a blind spot?

The positioning of the horse’s eyes on the side of its head creates a blind zone directly in front of and behind it. Approaching a horse in its blind zone will startle it. If your only choice is to approach from the rear, speak softly so it can hear you coming.

Why do horses have two blind spots?

This provides a horse with the best chance to spot predators. The horse’s wide range of monocular vision has two “blind spots,” or areas where the animal cannot see: in front of the face, making a cone that comes to a point at about 90–120 cm (3–4 ft) in front of the horse, and right behind its head,…

What is a blind horse?

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.

What should I do if my horse is going blind?

There are some common sense precautions you have to take, but there’s nothing that should keep you from providing a safe and loving home for your blind horse. My horse is going blind – what should I do? First, get the best veterinary care you can – right away. Eye diseases are often painful and need immediate intervention.

How to teach a blind horse to find the Waterer?

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.

How to take care of a blind horse?

A blind horse may not be able to find its food and water the same way a sighted horse would. Give it a little tour of its paddock and stable or stall when you first bring it in there. Giving your horse a tour of its space will help it be able to find everything it needs comfortably.

Are blind horses more prone to injuries?

When a blind horse gets hurt, it’s usually because another animal is bullying it. In fact, our blind horses are no more prone to injury than our sighted horses. 3. A blind horse takes a lot more work to care for than a sighted horse.

Can a blind horse still walk on a lead?

Your blind horse will still walk on a lead, accept a farrier’s handling, and get into and out of a trailer okay (with a little practice and coaching).

How to manage moon blindness in horses?

Managing Moon Blindness in the Stables Use a fly masks during an attack. Try MSM. Remove sharp objects from the horse’s stall. Reduce the horse’s exposure to potential triggers. Look for a trainer that specializes in blind horses.

Where can a horse see without moving?

There are only two places that a horse can’t see without moving, straight in front of them and right behind them, although they do have a small area of marginal sight either side of their rear blind spot.

Can a blind horse find the water?

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.

Can a blind horse adapt to its new disability?

In fact, your blind horse may adapt faster to its new disability than you will. Now, to be clear, if your horse was the anxious, flighty kind before going blind, it may not adjust well to blindness. Losing vision may exacerbate its natural nervousness. But again, only time will tell, and so we’d urge you to give it that time to see how it copes.

What factors affect a horse’s ability to handle blindness?

How quickly the horse went blind (progressively over a period of years due to disease or suddenly due to an injury) may also influence how well it handles its blindness and the period of time it requires to adjust to it.

What happens to a blind horse when it is rescued?

A rescued blind horse will require additional time to adapt to its new surroundings and to form a bond of trust with its new owner that a horse which you owned prior to its going blind will probably not require. The temperament of each blind horse is a consideration. Like some people, some horses simply adapt more quickly to change than others.

How to teach a horse to find its Waterer?

Lead the horse between its normal turnout point and the horse waterer a few times each day until the horse consistently demonstrates its ability to find the waterer on its own. Remember to stop/rap/swish each time the horse is brought to the waterer. FIGURE 13.

What is life like for a blind horse in a herd?

Horses are herd animals with a social hierarchy and a well-defined pecking order. Usually the blind horse falls to the bottom of the pecking order. The others sense the blind horse’s vulnerability and take advantage of it. A blind horse will get beaten up, chased away from food, and run off from the group. It is not a pleasant life.

How to teach a blind horse to recognize objects?

If the object has a unique smell or sound, you can also allow the horse to smell or hear the object in addition to touching the horse with it and talking to the horse. For example, plastic-coated waterproof horse blankets tend to make a rustling sound which will eventually be uniquely identifiable by the blind horse.

Do blind horses get hurt in herds?

A blind horse will get beaten up, chased away from food, and run off from the group. It is not a pleasant life. Blind horses can get hurt in a herd environment because with their fight-or-flight instinct, blindness leaves them with only one choice: flight.

Should I euthanize my horse if he is going blind?

Don’t euthanize a horse just because it’s going blind. If your horse is going blind, your friends, family, or even your veterinarian may suggest having it euthanized. However, you should not euthanize a horse just because it is going blind. Many horses adjust well to blindness and can live happy lives without sight.

How can I Help my Blind Horse?

• Make it a rule of thumb to always give your blind horse a verbal notification before making any kind of physical contact • Allow the horse to explore his new environment by himself and at his own pace, under your supervision.

How do you train a blind horse to use a Waterer?

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).

How to take care of a blind horse on a farm?

A little preparation before bringing a blind horse to your farm can go a long way toward easing his transition, for both of you. • Inspect the horse’s stall, run-in shed and corral for holes in the ground and sharp or protruding objects that could injure him, and make repairs.

Can a horse go blind from an eye injury?

This article has been viewed 6,928 times. Eye injuries are fairly common in horses and if left untreated, they can lead to blindness and more serious health issues. Your horse may develop an eye injury like a splinter in his eye, a cut, or a tear. Horses can also be prone to corneal ulcers and other eye problems.