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 Country Fried Chicken Gal
Posts: 7697
    
| My new gelding lost his left eye last night. I'm just sick about it. He is/was loping a really nice pattern, but isn't a seasoned/finished horse yet.
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | There have been quite a few. I trained one last year for a friend and I will be getting him back this summer to derby him. Our first barrel which is our blind barrel can be a bit tricky but 2 and 3 are amazing. He lost his eye at a very young age so he doesn't know any better but the biggest hurdle for him was gaining confidence. He took a bit longer than others to progress in his training because he lacked confidence so I really took my time with him. He has come a long ways and is a super nice horse to ride and run. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| First off let me say "I'm sorry" second off let me say "It's o.k. and It can be done" I ride a gelding who is at least 50% or more blind in his left eye. We got him when he was 4 and he had been doing ranch/feedlot work.
That being said when we started doing the barrels it was and still can be tough because he "Feels" things more. If I even sit a smidge early he's ready to turn. He cues more off of my body position and such than any of my other horses. Warming up was also difficult because horses would come up on his blind side in the warm up pen and it would spook him.
It's been two years now and we have pretty much overcome all our issues. Do not treat him as though he has a disability. Expect him to learn just like you would any other horse. That being said do be aware that some things may take more time because of this. It can be done.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 838
Location: Georgia | Frenchman's Guy was, I believe. And possibly Dinky's Red Man, if my brain is thinking correctly. If not I apologize for the misinformation.
Edited to add: I'm so sorry about your gelding. I have a 5 year old that lost hers at 4 months old. I understand your feelings, but it'll be ok. It's amazing at how quick he will adapt! Best wishes with him.
Edited by Klittle3 2014-05-06 3:34 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1538
Location: South Dakota | palgal - 2014-05-06 2:21 PM
My new gelding lost his left eye last night. I'm just sick about it. He is/was loping a really nice pattern, but isn't a seasoned/finished horse yet.
Know any successful ones?
Frenchmans Guy lost his eye as a yearling and Deb ran him. He did very well. |
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 Popped
Posts: 20421
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | sr red ryder ran without an eye.
and i call my mare the one eyed wonder. it will be ok.  |
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Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | purplemoon828 - 2014-05-06 3:30 PM First off let me say "I'm sorry" second off let me say "It's o.k. and It can be done" I ride a gelding who is at least 50% or more blind in his left eye. We got him when he was 4 and he had been doing ranch/feedlot work. That being said when we started doing the barrels it was and still can be tough because he "Feels" things more. If I even sit a smidge early he's ready to turn. He cues more off of my body position and such than any of my other horses. Warming up was also difficult because horses would come up on his blind side in the warm up pen and it would spook him. It's been two years now and we have pretty much overcome all our issues. Do not treat him as though he has a disability. Expect him to learn just like you would any other horse. That being said do be aware that some things may take more time because of this. It can be done.
Yes! Same with the horse I trained. He was very very in tune with my body so I had to make absolute sure that I was confident where I wanted him to go, look and ride him to that spot. Especially on the first barrel. |
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  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | There was a race horse name Bob Roy that I used to watch run all the time. He did have both eyes, but they put a styrofoam cup over his right eye to completely block that eye when he ran. He was very successful and ran until he was 10 or 11 years old. Not the same, I know, but just thought I'd share. Sorry for your horse.
Oh, and I used to work with a one-eyed doctor and he was very good at all ER skills...he even flies a plane....the only thing that was a little concerning to me was that when he'd see you, he'd say hi and slap you on the back really hard. It hurt bad. I think he doesn't have very good depth perception, but he's never wrecked his plane, so I guess it's cool. |
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 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| My grandpa only had one eye. He ran over every stop sign at a right hand turn he made. You need two eyes for depth perception. I don't know if that applies to horses, hopefully not! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 667
| My mare lost her eye when she was 7.. I am heading, heeling, and running barrels on her. It took a little while for her to gain confidence but she is totally fine. She lost her left eye so I go to the left first and she kinda does a roll back on that barrel but her second and third are great. She was originally a heel horse but I got nervouse putting her on the heel side when she was back to work... headed on her for a while and then got some courage one night and backed her in the heel box.. well needless to say she is much happier on that side. She did everything on her own and I never had to even think about asking her to catch the turn. I was amazed.
They can and will adapt with time.
Sorry about\ the injury but don't get discouraged. |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | I took a small little one eyed mare on partial trade many years ago on an open horse I sold. She was really small, about 14.1 and ran barrels and poles. Supposed to be a wicked pole horse and I had another customer looking for a high school rodeo/pole horse, so I took her in knowing I could sell her pretty quickly. She was missing a left eye, but still ran right handed barrels and a regular pole pattern and you would have never known. I hadn't ridden a pole horse since high school and the people interested in her wanted to see me run her. Ummmmm......ooooooooookayyyy (in a voice that sounded like i'd seen a ghost).
So I get on her and she squats down behind the alley way and I remembered what the kid told me that bought my open horse.....she will squat down and you'll think she's not going to go in, then all of the sudden she'll push off and go and all you need to do is whip her all the way down and hang on. Uh oh.....it's happening.....IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pushes off she does, so I whipped her a couple of times and this little mare was running as fast as i've ever experienced a horse run...or at least it felt like it, then all of the sudden we get to the end pole and her front end disappears and she's swapped directions.....me, not so much. I was grabbing anything I could find to stay on her. Man, saddle horn, ears.....ANYTHING! I somehow managed to make it through the pattern by the grace of God with me still on her back. I had dropped my reins, lost my stirrups, nearly fallen off at least twice, and this mare had worked through all of that and ran a 20.003 and I retired from pole bending right then and the poeple of course bought her.
So, to make a long story longer, one eyed horses don't concern me a bit. This mare was actually my second one eyed horse. The first was the second toughest barrel horse i've ever ridden. Don't worry about your gelding....he will be just fine and adjust, I promise. Don't baby him, just go on like it's still there and so will he. Good luck and go get em!!!!! 
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Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Herbie - 2014-05-06 4:07 PM I took a small little one eyed mare on partial trade many years ago on an open horse I sold. She was really small, about 14.1 and ran barrels and poles. Supposed to be a wicked pole horse and I had another customer looking for a high school rodeo/pole horse, so I took her in knowing I could sell her pretty quickly. She was missing a left eye, but still ran right handed barrels and a regular pole pattern and you would have never known. I hadn't ridden a pole horse since high school and the people interested in her wanted to see me run her. Ummmmm......ooooooooookayyyy (in a voice that sounded like i'd seen a ghost).
So I get on her and she squats down behind the alley way and I remembered what the kid told me that bought my open horse.....she will squat down and you'll think she's not going to go in, then all of the sudden she'll push off and go and all you need to do is whip her all the way down and hang on. Uh oh.....it's happening.....IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pushes off she does, so I whipped her a couple of times and this little mare was running as fast as i've ever experienced a horse run...or at least it felt like it, then all of the sudden we get to the end pole and her front end disappears and she's swapped directions.....me, not so much. I was grabbing anything I could find to stay on her. Man, saddle horn, ears.....ANYTHING! I somehow managed to make it through the pattern by the grace of God with me still on her back. I had dropped my reins, lost my stirrups, nearly fallen off at least twice, and this mare had worked through all of that and ran a 20.003 and I retired from pole bending right then and the poeple of course bought her.
So, to make a long story longer, one eyed horses don't concern me a bit. This mare was actually my second one eyed horse. The first was the second toughest barrel horse i've ever ridden. Don't worry about your gelding....he will be just fine and adjust, I promise. Don't baby him, just go on like it's still there and so will he. Good luck and go get em!!!!!
A video of that would have been nice..... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| First - so sorry for you all! HUGS!
The lil mare in my pic has a HUGE scar on her left eye - Drs say she's lost about 60% of the vision in that eye. This happened 3 years ago now ... She is a WICKED little shooting horse, runs barrels, sorts and cuts, and is a great breakaway horse too! Pretty much she is my once in a lifer ....
I KNOW the sinking feeling and how scary it is initially ... you'll get it together be awesome!! It takes time and as others have said, they'll FEEL so much more because they're looking for cues more to help direct them. I was surprised by how much my horse trusts me and waits on me to put her where she is supposed to be -example - while sorting, she drops her head and turns it to compensate but will wait on me to really push her to the spot; Before the accident, she just WENT and you held on!
Good Luck and CHIN UP!! |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | LRQHS - 2014-05-06 4:09 PM Herbie - 2014-05-06 4:07 PM I took a small little one eyed mare on partial trade many years ago on an open horse I sold. She was really small, about 14.1 and ran barrels and poles. Supposed to be a wicked pole horse and I had another customer looking for a high school rodeo/pole horse, so I took her in knowing I could sell her pretty quickly. She was missing a left eye, but still ran right handed barrels and a regular pole pattern and you would have never known. I hadn't ridden a pole horse since high school and the people interested in her wanted to see me run her. Ummmmm......ooooooooookayyyy (in a voice that sounded like i'd seen a ghost).
So I get on her and she squats down behind the alley way and I remembered what the kid told me that bought my open horse.....she will squat down and you'll think she's not going to go in, then all of the sudden she'll push off and go and all you need to do is whip her all the way down and hang on. Uh oh.....it's happening.....IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pushes off she does, so I whipped her a couple of times and this little mare was running as fast as i've ever experienced a horse run...or at least it felt like it, then all of the sudden we get to the end pole and her front end disappears and she's swapped directions.....me, not so much. I was grabbing anything I could find to stay on her. Man, saddle horn, ears.....ANYTHING! I somehow managed to make it through the pattern by the grace of God with me still on her back. I had dropped my reins, lost my stirrups, nearly fallen off at least twice, and this mare had worked through all of that and ran a 20.003 and I retired from pole bending right then and the poeple of course bought her.
So, to make a long story longer, one eyed horses don't concern me a bit. This mare was actually my second one eyed horse. The first was the second toughest barrel horse i've ever ridden. Don't worry about your gelding....he will be just fine and adjust, I promise. Don't baby him, just go on like it's still there and so will he. Good luck and go get em!!!!!
Blahahaha....I actually wish i'd had one! Boobs hitting that poor mare between the ears, me grabbing leather, my toes almost in the dirt, and her just working. I'd have priced her alot higher if i'd have known she was gonna work like that! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | I'm sorry to hear about your horse but on a brighter note I know quite a few horses that have turned out well with only 1 eye. They learn to adapt and so do you on your riding. They will carry their head different but you just work with it. I believe your horse still has potential. Wishing you the best of luck |
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Country Fried Chicken Gal
Posts: 7697
| Here's Gambler. He has been doing very well since the surgery...healing nicely. I will start riding him this summer and switch him to the left first and see how he does.
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Mrs. Txdad
Posts: 14084
Location: the fantasy txdad married | I'll just date myself here....My Bar Mesa, trained by Virginia McClintock (sp?) was one bad cat and if memory serves me correctly, he was a better barrel horse after he lost his eye. |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Little inspirational story.....a one armed young man was recently signed as a free agent by the NY Giants (I think). This young man was either born without his arm, or lost it as a young boy. His mother, distraught, was told by the doctor either when he was delivered or when he lost his arm....."Ms., go home and love this little boy and treat him like he has two arms, and he'll never know that he doesn't." The mother did just that. She didn't give him the handicap stereotype or let him, or anyone else, use the fact he only has one arm as a handicap. That boy who many would view as handicapped is actually gifted. He didn't drop one pass through the gauntlet at the small combine he attended. The NFL coach who drafted him watched all of his high school film and never saw anyone strip the ball from him. This young man is a phenom!
I say that to say this.....i'm betting your gelding is going to be just fine and the loss of his eye isn't going to affect him at all unless you allow it to and use it as a crutch or excuse for him. There are many barrel horses out there that lose an eye and i've yet to see one who it truly affects. The horses that were tough before were tough after.
My advice to you is go on with your horse like he has two eyes....in fact I would act surprised when anyone asked me what happened to him. I would ignore it that much. HAHA....plus it freaks people out when you do stuff like that. :)
I so hope you'll keep us posted and let us know how awesome ya'll are doing! He looks great! |
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 Go Your Own Way
Posts: 4947
Location: SE KS | Dinero does not have complete vision in his right eye (shadows) - thus our first barrel is the right barrel. He will depend on you to cue him, but
you can still run them and it makes you more of a team.
hugs to you - Dinero was 4 when this happened - it was an accident
Edited by Dinero10 2014-05-28 3:19 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | I have a friend with a horse with one eye. He is a gritty 1-d horse!! Has placed in the 1-d with 500+ horses. He is 13 and lost it I believe half way into his career. He will inhale his first barrel!(which is the side with no eye!) |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| My Mother went to the NFR 4X running barrels on a horse blind in his right eye. He was a lefty . The only thing that changed was you really had to tell him "Whoa" when you wanted him to turn to the right. He was a push style horse anyway and he never lost that. He just really "Listened" to you after he was blind. Which was a great thing! He lost his eye in a calf roping accident where the rope slapped his eye. That horse taught me everything I know. When I was a little kid I ran him to the RIGHT so that way I only had to help him on the first and he could babysit me on the other 2. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | My MIL had one that went to their regional finals with one eye. It's not a death sentence. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | NHSRF on a mine, blind in the left eye. |
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Veteran
Posts: 266
Location: Texas | Palgal what did he do to lose his eye? I'm dealing with this very thing right now. My barrel horse ran into something and has a possible melting ulcer on his eye. He is at my Vet's right now for treatment and so he can watch him. I am worried sick that he may lose the eye. He goes to the right barrel first also. I will pray for your guy and hope he has a full recovery and you can continue on with him.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 550
| LRQHS - 2014-05-06 5:09 PM
Herbie - 2014-05-06 4:07 PM I took a small little one eyed mare on partial trade many years ago on an open horse I sold. She was really small, about 14.1 and ran barrels and poles. Supposed to be a wicked pole horse and I had another customer looking for a high school rodeo/pole horse, so I took her in knowing I could sell her pretty quickly. She was missing a left eye, but still ran right handed barrels and a regular pole pattern and you would have never known. I hadn't ridden a pole horse since high school and the people interested in her wanted to see me run her. Ummmmm......ooooooooookayyyy (in a voice that sounded like i'd seen a ghost).
So I get on her and she squats down behind the alley way and I remembered what the kid told me that bought my open horse.....she will squat down and you'll think she's not going to go in, then all of the sudden she'll push off and go and all you need to do is whip her all the way down and hang on. Uh oh.....it's happening.....IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pushes off she does, so I whipped her a couple of times and this little mare was running as fast as i've ever experienced a horse run...or at least it felt like it, then all of the sudden we get to the end pole and her front end disappears and she's swapped directions.....me, not so much. I was grabbing anything I could find to stay on her. Man, saddle horn, ears.....ANYTHING! I somehow managed to make it through the pattern by the grace of God with me still on her back. I had dropped my reins, lost my stirrups, nearly fallen off at least twice, and this mare had worked through all of that and ran a 20.003 and I retired from pole bending right then and the poeple of course bought her.
So, to make a long story longer, one eyed horses don't concern me a bit. This mare was actually my second one eyed horse. The first was the second toughest barrel horse i've ever ridden. Don't worry about your gelding....he will be just fine and adjust, I promise. Don't baby him, just go on like it's still there and so will he. Good luck and go get em!!!!!
I saw the video in my head- It was FUN-NY! Too bad I can't post it on youtube.
OP-So sorry to hear about your horse. I've known 2 that lost full/partial vision and still did great, it just took a little adjustment period. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Herbie - 2014-05-28 1:14 PM Little inspirational story.....a one armed young man was recently signed as a free agent by the NY Giants (I think). This young man was either born without his arm, or lost it as a young boy. His mother, distraught, was told by the doctor either when he was delivered or when he lost his arm....."Ms., go home and love this little boy and treat him like he has two arms, and he'll never know that he doesn't." The mother did just that. She didn't give him the handicap stereotype or let him, or anyone else, use the fact he only has one arm as a handicap. That boy who many would view as handicapped is actually gifted. He didn't drop one pass through the gauntlet at the small combine he attended. The NFL coach who drafted him watched all of his high school film and never saw anyone strip the ball from him. This young man is a phenom!
I say that to say this.....i'm betting your gelding is going to be just fine and the loss of his eye isn't going to affect him at all unless you allow it to and use it as a crutch or excuse for him. There are many barrel horses out there that lose an eye and i've yet to see one who it truly affects. The horses that were tough before were tough after.
My advice to you is go on with your horse like he has two eyes....in fact I would act surprised when anyone asked me what happened to him. I would ignore it that much. HAHA....plus it freaks people out when you do stuff like that. :)
I so hope you'll keep us posted and let us know how awesome ya'll are doing! He looks great!
LOL!!  Love the idea of pretending you don't know what people are talking about when they ask about it! |
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Veteran
Posts: 223
Location: Louisiana | I am dealing with the exact same situation - My six year old gelding will be going to the vet tomorrow to have his right eye removed. H developed swelling, then a small spot that became a corneal ulcer. The eye developed a fungal infection. After a visit to see an Specialist and several long tiring days of treating the eye every 2 hours it has ruptured. I am heartbroken but after reading many of these post I see that all is not lost and in time he will adjust. We run barrels and heel off of him and if any horse can adjust I feel he can - he is very laid back and trusting.. Thanks for all the positive stories |
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Regular
Posts: 56
| I knew a really great 1D/2D gelding that raced late into his 20s and he only had one eye.
I work at a racetrack and there are 3 or 4 racehorses with only one eye. One of them won his race last night. :) |
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 The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington |  Blind in his left eye.
His first barrel was the right one. Tried to switch him up to the two left turns, didn't work for us. Went back to the one right turn,then two left.... He went back to winning.
Like someone else said, when asking for the turn on the pattern on their blind side be sure your past it. If you hit it, it's your fault.
Edited by fatchance 2014-05-29 10:14 PM
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 Member
Posts: 49
| Here is my beautiful 1-eyed boy. He is an awesome barrel and pole horse |
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 Veteran
Posts: 227
Location: Soon to be outta here:) | My first horse only had one eye, the eye was completely removed, it happened in an accident before I owned her. But she was one of the best horses ive ever owned. I learned how to ride on her. I just did 4h and some open shows with her, so she did all the games, but that horse was a wicked little pole and barrel horse. And i was 10 years old and had just started riding about 3 months before i started running her. The first time i ran her she almost dumped me going around first (which was her blind barrel). I just always took her into the arena and turned her to the right. In my mind it let her see the first barrel with her left eye? I have no idea if that actually worked but somehow the horse always turned it, even with my 10 year old inexperienced cues as the only thing for her to go off. She just knew her job and did it. Im sure it took a lot of work for them to get her running like that without one eye (like i said the eye was removed before i owned her, so i don't really know) all i know is that i loved that horse and she always always loved to run and work and she always took care of me! So it for sure can be done!!(: |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Herbie - 2014-05-06 4:07 PM I took a small little one eyed mare on partial trade many years ago on an open horse I sold. She was really small, about 14.1 and ran barrels and poles. Supposed to be a wicked pole horse and I had another customer looking for a high school rodeo/pole horse, so I took her in knowing I could sell her pretty quickly. She was missing a left eye, but still ran right handed barrels and a regular pole pattern and you would have never known. I hadn't ridden a pole horse since high school and the people interested in her wanted to see me run her. Ummmmm......ooooooooookayyyy (in a voice that sounded like i'd seen a ghost).
So I get on her and she squats down behind the alley way and I remembered what the kid told me that bought my open horse.....she will squat down and you'll think she's not going to go in, then all of the sudden she'll push off and go and all you need to do is whip her all the way down and hang on. Uh oh.....it's happening.....IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And pushes off she does, so I whipped her a couple of times and this little mare was running as fast as i've ever experienced a horse run...or at least it felt like it, then all of the sudden we get to the end pole and her front end disappears and she's swapped directions.....me, not so much. I was grabbing anything I could find to stay on her. Man, saddle horn, ears.....ANYTHING! I somehow managed to make it through the pattern by the grace of God with me still on her back. I had dropped my reins, lost my stirrups, nearly fallen off at least twice, and this mare had worked through all of that and ran a 20.003 and I retired from pole bending right then and the poeple of course bought her.
So, to make a long story longer, one eyed horses don't concern me a bit. This mare was actually my second one eyed horse. The first was the second toughest barrel horse i've ever ridden. Don't worry about your gelding....he will be just fine and adjust, I promise. Don't baby him, just go on like it's still there and so will he. Good luck and go get em!!!!!
Okay the visual I just got readin this is priceless
Palgal i would try him and see what happens |
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 Been Blessed
Posts: 7587
Location: Living in my Promised Land | After a long, painful battle to keep the mare in my avatar' s right eye, I had it removed last May. It took a while for her to recover, but she is doing exceptionally well. I wasn't thinking about it and downsized from an 8' wild trailer to a 7. She went to load and smacked her right shoulder on the side of the trailer. Now I am patiently teaching her to load with me on her right side. It is really the only problem that I have had. She still has a dynamite first barrel. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Give your horse time to adjust and resume training. He will be fine. My trail horse lost his left eye 2 years ago and he took it way better then I did!
I will say, however, it is hell trying to sell one with only one eye. I have had him for sale for what seems like forever and a day and almost everyone won't even consider him because he is missing an eye. I have even taken the time to do videos so buyers can see he handles not differently then a 2 eyed horse, but still. Nothing.
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