Loss of eyes is superficial to horse

A congenital disease that led to a permanent disability has done little to alter the lifestyle of a horse who truly seems to have a sixth sense.

Te (his registered name is Sonny's Goatee), a 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, had both of his eyes removed after being diagnosed with recurrent uveitis.

The disease has very distinct symptoms including acute pain that causes the pupil to constrict, causing the horse to become photophobic or sensitive to light, which causes the eyelids to shut tightly and, in many cases, are often accompanied by tears, according to the Complete Equine Veterinary Manual.

The conjunctiva and iris will also be red and inflamed. Recurrent attacks will come at intervals, with the successive attacks leading to diminished sight and eventual blindness.

"We knew there was a problem when he was around 2 when he started showing symptoms of the disease, when his eyes weren't functioning properly. He would come into the barn out of daylight, his eyes weren't contracting like they should," said Jessica Poole, owner of the horse. "As time went on, his eyes just started shrinking."

Te's eyes were extracted two years ago, but even without his eyes, it's done little to impact his quality of life. His eyes were removed because of a severe infection, said Poole.

Te and Poole have had a very strong bond for the past 11 years. Te had a few years of Western Pleasure show experience, she said.

"I had already had a few surgeries performed like tacking up his eyelid to keep the actual eyeball from being irritated, and gradually it became worse," said Poole, who said the horse also had hunt seat experience. "I took him to the veterinarian (Dr. Leslie Kinchen), and she told me I only had one option, and that was to remove the eye. I was very concerned. I've had him since he was 2 years old and had been around him since he was a baby."

After the eyes were removed, rather than disposing of Te, Poole knew the willing horse needed a job. In addition to being a trail riding horse, he's become an ideal pasture horse, with an almost uncanny intuitive sense of where the other horses are and when he should back away from certain situations. Te loves the water and swimming, said Poole.

"When we started training him, the horses in the Western Discipline actually show with very little movement (in Western riding it's the seat and the weight distribution that controls the horse, as opposed to English riding, which uses the hand and leg)," said Poole. "Most pleasure horses are trained strictly off of your legs. When we initially started training him, that's what we did. When his eyesight started to get progressively worse, his movements were already second nature to him. There were some things I had to adjust, but it was a short adjustment period. There are a few hand signals as far as the reins go. It looks painful but it's not. He's my partner."

Te's companion is a small pony. He has a gentle disposition, and children have been able to ride him, said Poole. He socializes with the rest of the horses.

"He's very happy," said Poole. "When we trail ride and we come upon something we may need to cross, I tell him to step up. It's the same thing when I need to load him on a trailer. He's a normal horse. A lot of people don't realize he doesn't have any eyes until they really look at him. Very little bothers him. When I first brought him to John Chavous' Farm (where he's boarded), I showed him the water trough and showed him his feed tub. He just likes being a horse."

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.