Red is a deep flaxen chestnut Belgian with a wonderful disposition. He isn't quite as tall as his pal, Nick, but he still is a gentle giant.
A couple months ago something happened - we still aren't sure what - and he went blind. I'd never been around a blind horse, so it was a new experience for me. While we were approaching him we talked, and to introduce ourselves we let him smell up for a bit. While we moved around him we talked and also stayed in contact with him. This was to ensure that he knew where we were and wouldn't spook.
He stayed calm the whole time, and after we left he went back to circling around his picket line. It made me sad to see him restart his regimen of walking around in circles, sullenly. That's the thing, though - because he's blind there isn't any better, safer option for keeping him on pasture.
Regardless, he's a sweetheart. Hopefully the owner will have a petition signed by the other drivers in our show circuit and Red can continue being shown in harness. Personally, my state's horse group *should* allow blind horses to show, but only after a series of tests.
Here's Red. :)
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| Red! |
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| Making sure he knew where we were. |
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| He has pretty legs. |
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| His head really is this large! |
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| He had gently placed his huge head against my jacket and just kept it there for a bit. It was so sweet, and I'm glad I got a picture of it. |
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