A big step!

[Otter]

Our mare Lady May (call name Duchess) lost sight in her good eye when she was sick last year. While she's not completely blind, it's close enough.

She is 9 years old and besides being trained to drive as a 3yo, had always been a broodmare. But if it has 4 sound legs and can carry me, I generally throw a saddle on it, so we trained her to ride.

Here's the thing about blind horses, as a rule, they love to be ridden. Once they understand that you will see for them, they adore the freedom to move out with confidence, and Duchess is no exception. But, never having been ridden before, and speed not generally being desired in a driving horse, she was happy to stay at walk and trot (and WOW, what a trot!! think extended dressage style and smooth as silk) Like many driving horses, she seemed to think that breaking into a canter is naughty. We pretty much left it at that, and happily just hack out on the dirt road.

Yesterday, on a spur of the moment ride, only the 2nd ride after 3 months off due to summer heat, DD gave her her first ever canter under saddle. All of a sudden Duchess understood that Go was ok and she LOVED it!! DD reports that her canter is the smoothest she's ever ridden. I don't know which was happier, girl or horse! I'm pretty tickled myself.

[aoconnor]

What a fantastic story!! I love a good and happy result when there is reason for it not to happen! You have a wonderful pair there, your mare and your DD! Congrats:-)

[manygoatsnmore]

How awesome is that! I bet your dd was just floating, both on and OFF the horse.

[mollymckee]

How great for your DD. there was a woman on HT that competed on her blind mare in endurance riding. She did well and wrote an article about it. If I could remember her HT name I'd tell you so you could read it.

[Otter]

mollymckee that was Malinda. I remember her, wonder if she still posts there at all?

Endurance may be in Duchess's future when we move, and I'd like to get her back into driving a little so she can help me teach my youngsters. The more activity we can give her, the happier she'll be. Standing around in her paddock is boring, lol

We have Duchess' 2 yo colt here who will be trained to ride and drive, and we're really hoping that he has gotten his mother's wonderfully smooth motion, as there is already someone interested in him for driving and sidesaddle when he's old enough.