Post by garbo on Dec 4, 2005 22:37:41 GMT -5
We haven't come across one yet but if we do here's some info.
Couple offers clearer view of blind horses
Full story:
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002663374_blindhorse04m.html
By Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporter
When Juliane Hanley first saw the frightened young horse at an Enumclaw auction,
it was obvious the filly was blind.
She titled her head in a funny way and kept running into the gate of a stall.
"At one point, she ended up falling on her back. It was heartbreaking," said
Hanley. And that was before the auctioneer said the horse wasn't worth the cost
of grain to feed her and sold her to the "meat man" for $20, Hanley said.
As she sat in the bleachers and the auction wound to a close, Hanley, 31,
couldn't stop thinking about the scared filly being led to a gruesome slaughter.
She and other members of the Cowgirl Spirit Rescue Drill Team approached the
meat man and bought the blind horse from him for $20.
But Hanley, a Microsoft Web developer, didn't know anything about blind horses.
Could they have a decent life? Could they be trained? Were they dangerous?
A crusade and a convention
Hanley isn't alone when it comes to such questions, say two former Boeing
employees who've founded a nonprofit group dedicated to caring for blind horses
and educating Americans about their plight.
Today, Steve Smith and Alayne Marker will bring their crusade to a national
convention of 2,500 equine veterinarians meeting in Seattle this week.
Their message is simple. "A blind horse can have a wonderful quality of life if
you give it a chance," Smith said.
But he and Marker need to convince some vets of that. "Too often what we've
heard from people is that their vet is recommending they euthanize a horse and
typically the reason they're given is one of the myths that exists about blind
horses," Smith said.
Dr. Dennis Brooks, an expert in equine ophthalmology, agreed that many vets
don't know horses can adapt quite well to blindness. "I don't know if it's most
vets, but it's enough that they need education," said Brooks, a University of
Florida professor. "We have preconceptions about what blindness is. But animals
don't. They just deal with it."
Horses have superb vision compared with animals such as dogs and cats. As a
natural defense against predators, they have eyes good at detecting motion and
seeing in the dark, Brooks said.
It's estimated that 1 percent of the country's 9 million horses are blind in
both eyes. "It's a common problem. Every horse owner will know of a blind
horse," Brooks said.
The leading cause of blindness is equine uveitis, an autoimmune disease that
stems from infections, Brooks explained.
Life isn't over
Too often, when a horse goes blind it means the end of its life. People assume a
1,000-pound animal that can't see is going to be dangerous, Smith said.
"What we think happens for many vets is that they're called in when a horse is
suddenly going blind. They see it frightened and panicky and they extrapolate
that that behavior is going to be forever. But it's not. Ultimately, most horses
adjust well to blindness," he added.
Some horses will never adjust, Smith acknowledged, but that results more from
the horse's high-strung personality or lack of proper care than from the
blindness itself.
Smith knows from hands-on experience. When he and Marker, his wife, quit their
Boeing jobs five years ago to open a sanctuary for disabled animals in Montana,
they assumed they'd be mainly dealing with dogs and cats.
"It never occurred to us we'd end up with blind horses. As it turned out, our
first resident was Lena," Smith said.
An 8-year-old quarter-horse, Lena is totally and permanently blind. When she
first arrived at Smith and Marker's 160-acre ranch, she appeared nervous and was
covered with scabs and scars inflicted by other horses that had bullied her.
But in time she became familiar with their voices. She would let them lead her
anywhere as they walked at her side and talked. She became calm and gentle. The
scabs and scars faded. Now, they say, she exudes a confidence that comes from
knowing her surroundings.
Few special needs
Horses like Lena make a mental map of their environments, Smith said, and
maneuver well if objects aren't moved on them. Others rely on a buddy horse they
stay close to as they walk in a pasture or corral.
"They're very conservative. They know they can't see, and they don't want to get
hurt, so they're very cautious," he said.
In all, Smith and Marker care for 20 blind horses at their Rolling Dog Ranch
Animal Sanctuary. (You can meet most of them at http://www.blindhorses.org.) They
include Madison and Bridger, an inseparable couple, according to Smith.
"They love each other, dote on each other. They're totally blind but they have
an absolute, undying devotion to each other," he said.
Smith and Marker say blind horses don't require much special attention. All you
have to do differently, they say, is keep a blind horse away from horses that
bully it. You should also use safe fencing -- smooth wire mesh instead of barbed
or electrified wire. And you should make sure pastures are free of holes,
low-hanging tree limbs and other potential dangers.
An important role
Hanley has received quite an education in the nine months since she saved the
frightened filly, now called Spirit.
Mostly, she's learned how rewarding it is to own a blind horse. "Because they
can't see, they rely on you. There's definitely a much deeper level of trust and
bonding with a blind horse," she said.
Spirit has turned out to be cuddly. "She's very puppy-like. She loves to be near
people. She loves to be touched, scratched and hugged. She's turned out to be a
very emotional and sensual horse," Hanley said.
Now, Spirit is sort of a mascot and ambassador for the Sammamish-based Cowgirl
Spirit Rescue Drill Team, a nonprofit group that rescues horses, trains them and
competes against other drill teams in Washington state.
"We have taken her to many fundraisers. Even though she's blind, she goes to
strange new environments with strange people and cars going by," Hanley said.
Still, Hanley said, she has much to learn about blind horses. She wants to know
more about their behaviors and needs, the best ways to care for them, and
whether Spirit's sight can be restored through surgery. The rescue drill team is
setting up a booth next to Smith and Marker's at the American Association of
Equine Practitioners' convention and trade show that began Saturday and runs
through Wednesday in Seattle.
This will mark the first such convention Smith has attended. "I just want to
make sure the veterinary community has access to all this information we've put
together about blind horses," he said. "Our idea is that a horse is not a
disposable product that you send off to slaughter when you can't use it anymore.
It's time we start looking at horses the same way we look at other companion
animals," he said.
He won't get an argument from Hanley. "Spirit will be with us forever," she
said. "We will never adopt her out."
Bob Young: 206-464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com
======================================================================
Couple offers clearer view of blind horses
Full story:
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002663374_blindhorse04m.html
By Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporter
When Juliane Hanley first saw the frightened young horse at an Enumclaw auction,
it was obvious the filly was blind.
She titled her head in a funny way and kept running into the gate of a stall.
"At one point, she ended up falling on her back. It was heartbreaking," said
Hanley. And that was before the auctioneer said the horse wasn't worth the cost
of grain to feed her and sold her to the "meat man" for $20, Hanley said.
As she sat in the bleachers and the auction wound to a close, Hanley, 31,
couldn't stop thinking about the scared filly being led to a gruesome slaughter.
She and other members of the Cowgirl Spirit Rescue Drill Team approached the
meat man and bought the blind horse from him for $20.
But Hanley, a Microsoft Web developer, didn't know anything about blind horses.
Could they have a decent life? Could they be trained? Were they dangerous?
A crusade and a convention
Hanley isn't alone when it comes to such questions, say two former Boeing
employees who've founded a nonprofit group dedicated to caring for blind horses
and educating Americans about their plight.
Today, Steve Smith and Alayne Marker will bring their crusade to a national
convention of 2,500 equine veterinarians meeting in Seattle this week.
Their message is simple. "A blind horse can have a wonderful quality of life if
you give it a chance," Smith said.
But he and Marker need to convince some vets of that. "Too often what we've
heard from people is that their vet is recommending they euthanize a horse and
typically the reason they're given is one of the myths that exists about blind
horses," Smith said.
Dr. Dennis Brooks, an expert in equine ophthalmology, agreed that many vets
don't know horses can adapt quite well to blindness. "I don't know if it's most
vets, but it's enough that they need education," said Brooks, a University of
Florida professor. "We have preconceptions about what blindness is. But animals
don't. They just deal with it."
Horses have superb vision compared with animals such as dogs and cats. As a
natural defense against predators, they have eyes good at detecting motion and
seeing in the dark, Brooks said.
It's estimated that 1 percent of the country's 9 million horses are blind in
both eyes. "It's a common problem. Every horse owner will know of a blind
horse," Brooks said.
The leading cause of blindness is equine uveitis, an autoimmune disease that
stems from infections, Brooks explained.
Life isn't over
Too often, when a horse goes blind it means the end of its life. People assume a
1,000-pound animal that can't see is going to be dangerous, Smith said.
"What we think happens for many vets is that they're called in when a horse is
suddenly going blind. They see it frightened and panicky and they extrapolate
that that behavior is going to be forever. But it's not. Ultimately, most horses
adjust well to blindness," he added.
Some horses will never adjust, Smith acknowledged, but that results more from
the horse's high-strung personality or lack of proper care than from the
blindness itself.
Smith knows from hands-on experience. When he and Marker, his wife, quit their
Boeing jobs five years ago to open a sanctuary for disabled animals in Montana,
they assumed they'd be mainly dealing with dogs and cats.
"It never occurred to us we'd end up with blind horses. As it turned out, our
first resident was Lena," Smith said.
An 8-year-old quarter-horse, Lena is totally and permanently blind. When she
first arrived at Smith and Marker's 160-acre ranch, she appeared nervous and was
covered with scabs and scars inflicted by other horses that had bullied her.
But in time she became familiar with their voices. She would let them lead her
anywhere as they walked at her side and talked. She became calm and gentle. The
scabs and scars faded. Now, they say, she exudes a confidence that comes from
knowing her surroundings.
Few special needs
Horses like Lena make a mental map of their environments, Smith said, and
maneuver well if objects aren't moved on them. Others rely on a buddy horse they
stay close to as they walk in a pasture or corral.
"They're very conservative. They know they can't see, and they don't want to get
hurt, so they're very cautious," he said.
In all, Smith and Marker care for 20 blind horses at their Rolling Dog Ranch
Animal Sanctuary. (You can meet most of them at http://www.blindhorses.org.) They
include Madison and Bridger, an inseparable couple, according to Smith.
"They love each other, dote on each other. They're totally blind but they have
an absolute, undying devotion to each other," he said.
Smith and Marker say blind horses don't require much special attention. All you
have to do differently, they say, is keep a blind horse away from horses that
bully it. You should also use safe fencing -- smooth wire mesh instead of barbed
or electrified wire. And you should make sure pastures are free of holes,
low-hanging tree limbs and other potential dangers.
An important role
Hanley has received quite an education in the nine months since she saved the
frightened filly, now called Spirit.
Mostly, she's learned how rewarding it is to own a blind horse. "Because they
can't see, they rely on you. There's definitely a much deeper level of trust and
bonding with a blind horse," she said.
Spirit has turned out to be cuddly. "She's very puppy-like. She loves to be near
people. She loves to be touched, scratched and hugged. She's turned out to be a
very emotional and sensual horse," Hanley said.
Now, Spirit is sort of a mascot and ambassador for the Sammamish-based Cowgirl
Spirit Rescue Drill Team, a nonprofit group that rescues horses, trains them and
competes against other drill teams in Washington state.
"We have taken her to many fundraisers. Even though she's blind, she goes to
strange new environments with strange people and cars going by," Hanley said.
Still, Hanley said, she has much to learn about blind horses. She wants to know
more about their behaviors and needs, the best ways to care for them, and
whether Spirit's sight can be restored through surgery. The rescue drill team is
setting up a booth next to Smith and Marker's at the American Association of
Equine Practitioners' convention and trade show that began Saturday and runs
through Wednesday in Seattle.
This will mark the first such convention Smith has attended. "I just want to
make sure the veterinary community has access to all this information we've put
together about blind horses," he said. "Our idea is that a horse is not a
disposable product that you send off to slaughter when you can't use it anymore.
It's time we start looking at horses the same way we look at other companion
animals," he said.
He won't get an argument from Hanley. "Spirit will be with us forever," she
said. "We will never adopt her out."
Bob Young: 206-464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com
======================================================================