Ok, I will start off by saying I feel a little silly posting this, I don't know why, this is just a disclaimer of sorts. But my hubby got me thinking last night.
So, his whole life, my gelding Duggan has always been really weird. Like the weirdest horse I've ever worked with. And I've had others tell me that he is a bit off. Never in a mean way. He can be and is usually dead as a door nail mentally, and extremely lazy. But if something rustles outside the arena, even a mouse or a cat in the grass, he perks up and snorts or lurches sideways and is extremely wary of that area for quite some time after that... basically he really over reacts.
I've never really been able to get him over his spooks. Doesn't matter how many times I sack him out, if I feel like we made progress with scary bags, he acts like I've never waved anything that makes noise at him the next day. He is constantly spooking at boulders and shadows and stationary things too.
I've spent hours at a time loading him and unloading him from a trailer, and he gets it down for the day, but the next time, it's like we never worked on it. He is always a problem loader.
He's never been one I would consider sure footed either....
So that was a little back story, here's where my hubby comes in. He was dragging the pasture yesterday on the four wheeler and told me Duggan was going absolutely nuts in the back. He thought he was spooked at the four wheeler. But then he took his hood off his head and Duggan totally relaxed.
He thought that was weird. I said that he doesn't really like me in a hood either and that I used to have to take off my hat to catch him. He crinkled his face and asked me "Can they check horses vision?" I said yes. He said "You ought to do that, I don't think he can see. That would explain A LOT"
I had never considered that for him before, and it just got me thinking. What would tip YOU off that a horse might not be able to see?
Now, I'm not looking for a diagnosis here. I don't know that I'm looking for training advise either, though I'm sure he's got holes somewhere and I'm usually pretty open to suggestions. I'm also not looking for an excuse for his behavior, I'm just curious what would raise an eyebrow for you.
Thank you!:cowboy:
EDIT: And I'm not suggesting he's totally blind... just maybe like someone who might need glasses haha
So, his whole life, my gelding Duggan has always been really weird. Like the weirdest horse I've ever worked with. And I've had others tell me that he is a bit off. Never in a mean way. He can be and is usually dead as a door nail mentally, and extremely lazy. But if something rustles outside the arena, even a mouse or a cat in the grass, he perks up and snorts or lurches sideways and is extremely wary of that area for quite some time after that... basically he really over reacts.
I've never really been able to get him over his spooks. Doesn't matter how many times I sack him out, if I feel like we made progress with scary bags, he acts like I've never waved anything that makes noise at him the next day. He is constantly spooking at boulders and shadows and stationary things too.
I've spent hours at a time loading him and unloading him from a trailer, and he gets it down for the day, but the next time, it's like we never worked on it. He is always a problem loader.
He's never been one I would consider sure footed either....
So that was a little back story, here's where my hubby comes in. He was dragging the pasture yesterday on the four wheeler and told me Duggan was going absolutely nuts in the back. He thought he was spooked at the four wheeler. But then he took his hood off his head and Duggan totally relaxed.
He thought that was weird. I said that he doesn't really like me in a hood either and that I used to have to take off my hat to catch him. He crinkled his face and asked me "Can they check horses vision?" I said yes. He said "You ought to do that, I don't think he can see. That would explain A LOT"
I had never considered that for him before, and it just got me thinking. What would tip YOU off that a horse might not be able to see?
Now, I'm not looking for a diagnosis here. I don't know that I'm looking for training advise either, though I'm sure he's got holes somewhere and I'm usually pretty open to suggestions. I'm also not looking for an excuse for his behavior, I'm just curious what would raise an eyebrow for you.
Thank you!:cowboy:
EDIT: And I'm not suggesting he's totally blind... just maybe like someone who might need glasses haha