One-eyed Racehorse(s)

crazyhorse

crazyhorse

At the Start
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Hi - we did buy an unraced filly that is blind on one eye. She was not born blind, but has an eye-infection and has now completely no eyesight on her right eye.

Does anybody has some expiriences with one-eyed wonders? :)
Thanks very much!
 
The John Dunlop-trained Belper (1970s?) was blind in his right eye but won plenty of races going left-handed.
 
Last heard of at Greatwood.North Kilkenny: 13 year old chesnut gelding Ragapan - Princess Geeno (Cheval) won three times and placed several times. He held the record at Plumpton for 2m 1f over fences. He lost his right eye in the early summer of 1999 in the field. His eye was removed and he won first time out at Plumpton.
 
@ colin - yes, looks like it. She has been operated on the infected eye, and as far as humans can measure it she is completly blind. She doesn´t react to anything on that site but copes very well in " normal " life. Do they really have preferences going left- or right handed connected with the side of the blind eye?
We are dreading her first outing though - how will she react first time at a racetrack when she cannot judge the noises that well?
 
Originally posted by crazyhorse@Feb 8 2005, 09:54 AM
We are dreading her first outing though - how will she react first time at a racetrack when she cannot judge the noises that well?
Click to expand...
She deaf as well?
 
@ joe - thanks :lol: - no she isn´t ....

- but I mean her restricted eyesight will make her more " vulnerable" and more likely to get wound up to the buzzing on a track??????
 
Use earplugs for her ears so she doesn't hear anything on the racecourse meaning she's less likely to get wound up before her race.
 
I think it is remarkable that a horse can race with only the use of one eye. I am sure your fillies first experience will be a strange one crazyhorse, but it is amazing how they can compensate once they get use to it. Fingers crossed she comes home safe and sound and runs a good race for your stable without too much trauma first time out.
 
I worked with a filly who was ok at Roger Charltons i think it was called Away To Me if i remember rightly and she was fine they just learn to cope and dont know that it is unusual to have one eye. And Grand Seigneur here who won 2 weeks ago is partially blind in one eye.
 
The aptly named Pollard's Vision is a Graded winner over in the States despite being blind in one eye.
 
There are many cases of blind horses performing well .
Better talk now ( 2004 BC turf winner ) has the tendency to lean on the left at the furlong pole ( which he did in Texas ) so the trainer fixed a special pair of blinkers to stop the horse seeing in his left eye .If you check the vieo you will see that the horse was unable to see in that eye and he ran the race of his life that day.
 
I learnt to ride on a one-eyed pony called Kipper - Jesus, he could buck!! His party trick was to gallop up the field bucking like hell, good way to learn to ride, better than the riding school donkeys that follow nose to tail! Kipper certainly had no problems jumping, hacking or pissing off up the field bucking! I also tried a JA pony with a view to buying it when I was 15 - he was completely blind in one eye but he was still a mean showjumper. When I tried him I jumped him over a showjumping course of about 3ft6 & he was amazing - you could even present him to a fence on his blind side & he'd clear it no problem, I guess they learn how to adapt. I didn't buy him in the end as the sellers were lying about his age - they said he was 14 but he was at least in his mid twenties.
 
I believe that the Champion Hurdler Winning Fair was blind in one eye.

Derby winner Dante was rapidly going blind by the time he ran in the St Leger in 1945. On the recommendation of a bookmaker, somebody in the yard made sure he didn't get his eye medication, thus ensuring the horse's defeat.
 
I seem to remember a godolphin filly being blind in her left eye. She didn't run in the Oaks with it being a left handed track. Moon Cactus maybe?
 
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