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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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