Now that we’re back to riding again, I feel like I have bit more insight on working with a one-eyed horse. Here are just some general observations/comments that I feel could help other owners.

This may seem like stating the obvious, but always be medically cognizant of your horse’s healthy eye. Be sure to include an ocular check by a veterinarian at least once a year, and call your vet IMMEDIATELY if you notice anything unusual or different about the remaining eye. Many eye conditions can be averted if treated right after symptoms present themselves, so be sure to check the eye yourself EVERY time you see your horse. If you are going to be on vacation for an extended period of time, ask someone knowledgable at your barn to keep tabs on your horse while you are gone.

Having a one-eyed horse felt like the impossible after Spiker’s diagnosis in the fall of 2008. I had never knowingly ridden a horse with impaired vision; how the hell could I guide my horse through this uncharted territory in equine care? Thanks to knowledge from my vets, other owners of blind horses online and taking things slowly, Spiker is a model example of how a horse can recover after enculeation surgery or vision impairment and continue to be a happy, healthy and (hopefully!) competitive horse.

Preparing all the ingredients

One of Spiker’s favourite activities are hanging treats, however they can get costly to buy, especially if your horse goes through a lot. I did a bit of research and found a variety of recipes to make hanging treats and treat balls. Most of the ingredients were easy to find/inexpensive to purchase (whether at the feed store or grocery store), and fairly simple to make. I wanted something I could hang on my pre-existing Lick-it holder, but others have created ball shapes on a string or even bowl-shaped hunks that just sit on the ground.

Here is a great, easy recipe to make your own hard, hanging treats!

You need:

-11″ x 14″ (4″ molds) non-stick angel food cake pan (I ordered mine online to fit the Lick-it holder)

-Cooking spray

Ingredients:

-2 cups sweet feed (or whatever grain your horse eats)

-1 cup corn meal

-1 & 1/3 cups white granulated sugar

-2 cups corn syrup

-Optional: a handful of something your horse likes (I used peppermints)

Let’s get cooking!

(Prepare your baking pan/bowl with lots of cooking spray, this prevents sticking)

Step 1: In a large pot, melt the sugar and the corn syrup over medium heat. Watch out because sugar A. burns easily and B. can bubble up/overflow in your pot very quickly if the head is too high. Keep stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. (About 10-15 minutes.)

Step 2: Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 8 minutes. The steam generated from the hot sugar is the temperature of boiling water, so be careful when you put your hand in to stir occasionally.

Step 3: Uncover and cook until the sugar is at the crackling stage. This takes approximately 45 mins – 1 hour, depending on the heat of your stove. There are two ways to tell if the sugar is at the cracking stage -

A. Use a candy thermometer. The sugar should be approximately 290*f – 300*f  (143*c – 150*c)

B. The cold water test. Take a small bowl and fill it with very cold water. With a cooking spoon, remove a small amount of the sugar/syrup mix from the pot and allow it to drizzle into the bowl of cold water. The cold water will cause the sugar to harden. Put your hand into the water and pull out the sugar; if the result is a hard piece of sugar (like candy), it should easily crack apart between your fingers and is ready for Step 4. If it is soft or pliable, it’s not hot enough yet.

Step 4: Turn off the stove, and quickly mix in the corn meal and sweet feed, as well as any optional ingredients. The sugar will begin to harden almost immediately, so be fast but careful when you are scooping the treat mix into your mold. (I burned my finger on the hot mix, it really hurt!)

That’s it! Now you just have to allow the treats to cool, 4-6 hours is normally enough. Turn your mold over, bang a bit and voila, horse treats.

This should keep Spiker busy for a while!

(One final note, to fill this mold of 6 treats as pictured above that will hang, I doubled the recipe.)

Normally, Spiker is a pretty easy-going guy, and truthfully I had never seen him be fussed over a buddy leaving, especially with other horses in paddocks right next to him. The barn staff called to notify me what happened, and naturally I went right up to look that evening.

After a few weeks of stall rest and wrapping, his sore RH leg was not cooling down or becoming less painful, so in came the vet (again).  After some digital radiographs (x-rays) and an ultrasound, it was revealed he had torn his suspensory ligament in his RH.  He would require 12 weeks of stall rest and wrapping, and then another 3 months of rehabilitation.

Having been through a suspensory rehab before, I knew that patience was a virtue. Rushing the recovery process will result in less than stellar results, and could result in future re-injury. Ideally, when rehabilitation is done correctly the scar tissue can actually make the ligament stronger in some cases.  However, a lot has changed with equine medical technology since I last rehabbed a ligament.

A popular option for torn/injured ligaments is Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT).  The theory behind shockwave therapy is that it creates “microtrauma” to the area, which quickly and painlessly stimulates neo-vascularization (new blood flow) into the area. The current recommended treatment for ESWT is three treatments that are two weeks apart. The time in between treatments allows for healing to take place before the next treatment. Many vets have mobile ESWT capabilities, meaning they will come to your barn and treat your horse as necessary. Check out this local clinic in the Toronto area for more information, which offers ESWT to local clients.

Sadly, Spiker had to do without this treatment option as my veterinary clinic probably treats themselves to yearly cruises based on the amount of money they have accrued from Spiker’s various injuries, including his eye troubles and joint maintenance. This time, we were going to have to stick it out with good old-fashioned stall rest.

Another new approach to ligament repair is including handwalking (light exercise) into the horse’s recovery much earlier on in the healing process. Horses were formerly confined to their stalls for months at a time, and then eventually allowed light handwalking to start the rehabilitation process. Now, many vets recommend introducing handwalking after a few weeks of rest, to help the horse recover faster with improved tissue quality at the site of the injury.

Currently, Spiker is in his fourth month of injury, and we are up to 15 minutes of handwalking per day. It hasn’t been easy, to get through snowy drives or late night visits to the barn just for handwalking, but it is a critical part of the recovery process.

While I have been following my vet’s advice to get the best results, I also found a great book that has stories of injury and rehabilitation by horse owners, which includes various injuries, different methods of treatment as well as a rehabilitation guideline. (Always consult your veterinarian before trying anything you’ve read in a book or online!)

Back to Work: How to Rehabilitate or Recondition your Horse was a good read that had lots of helpful suggestions on what worked for owners (or what to avoid). The book not only examines the horse, but what it was like for the owners to hear their equine partner was seriously injured, and would miss major competitions.

At this point, I am very tired of the wrapping and handwalking, but hopefully in about 3 weeks we should be up to 25-30 minutes of handwalking, at which point I can get on him at the walk for 10 minutes.

Rehabbing a horse takes time, patience, and if your horse is like my horse, a lot of money. The goal is to get them happy and healthy so the return to work has minimal set-backs. Invest in the time and your horse will be back to competition and ready to go.

(Or you can invest in lottery tickets, which is next on my list….)

The No-bows have been great for Spiker's legs

My products get a lot of use (right now, I have the No-bows to help speed healing of a torn suspensory ligament in Spiker’s leg) so I need to ensure that when I wash them, I do so in a way that products the ceramic fibers. Too much heat can damage the fibers, so also follow the directions to keep your Back on Track products clean and working effectively.

Naturally, keeping them clean is a part of any equine item, and if your horse is at all like mine, most of his stuff ends up pretty dirty pretty quickly.

The only problem with this product is once you try it, you will want more! I’m glad Santa is coming soon, Spiker is crossing his hooves for a pair of Back on Track polo wraps for when he comes back into work in the spring. Happy washing!

WASHING BACK ON TRACK HORSE PRODUCTS

[Excerpted from BackonTrack.com]

Back on Track products are machine washable up to 90°F or 30°C, using normal detergents that do not contain bleach. They should be air dried only. Please note: Do not use bleach or fabric softeners, and do not tumble dry. If you wish to iron these products, do so at a maximum of 50°C. As the ceramic powder is actually melded into the polyester/polypropylene threads, it will not separate when washed. The textile will however deteriorate with prolonged use.

Last week we did some schooling and I even had a local hunter friend of mine hop on so I could see him work. He certainly is reluctant to bend to the right (which I was surprised by, I thought his instinct would be to carry his head in the direction that gave him the most visibility) however is doing his best to listen to his rider and complete the task at hand.

Trotting on the right rein

I have been increasing the amount of rides I have where other riders are involved (such as 2 or 3 additional horses schooling in the indoor arena, versus just him and I schooling by ourselves) and while he is a bit jumpy when fast-paced horses come up behind him on his bad side (if I am on the wall on the right rein, and a horse jumps a line down the long side, he goes “on alert” and starts blowing/fussing as they get closer to him).  I am trying to keep him settled and distracted with work, instead of let him focus on the situation. While he will not have these distractions while in competition, he will have to learn to “deal” while in the warm-up ring, having horses trotting/cantering/jumping in every direction. While I am hoping he settles in time, I am not sure I expect a large, able-bodied Thoroughbred to be able to mentally handle some of these issues completely in stride!

Since he was being so co-operative the other day, I decided to pop him over a small crossrail that was in the middle of the arena. Sure enough, it did not phase him whatsoever and my friend who was watching said he took it completely naturally. There was no looking or hesitation.

Interestingly enough, I read an article in Practical Horseman this month which discussed equine vision, and noted that the left eye is typically the “stronger” eye and is linked to the horse’s reaction time, in situations such as seeing a predator or jumping an obstacle. Since Spiker’s right eye was removed, it comforted me to know his “faster” eye was still in place, and obviously he is still comfortable jumping despite his impaired vision.

He has been such a wonder to work with, both in hand and under saddle, after his surgery. It is like having my “old” horse back again, prior to all of his eye issues. His eye has had no problems whatsoever with healing, scarring or anything of the sort. The only thing that somewhat surprised me is that he still blinks, and winces when I “brush over” his eye socket. The area does tend to get a bit flaky due to dry skin, however a bit of equine hair moisturizer seems to do the trick. I put some on a cloth and gently rub it around it eye before cleaning the eye socket itself. While I don’t think he enjoys it, he definitely tolerates it and will stand quietly while I tidy the area up a bit.

Apparently we are going to have winter for another three weeks, however I have been taking advantage of the 60-degree weather and taking Spiker out to the 1/2 mile track in the back of the barn he is stabled at. I have been trying to focus less on the technical side of training and more on his fitness and confidence with his surroundings. When we resume jumping (notice I am saying “when” and not “if”!) I want him to feel comfortable, both physically and mentally.

Ideally, when bringing a young or inexperienced horse outside of confined spaces (such as an indoor arena) for the first few times, having another more confident horse to “lead the way” will make your horse feel more secure. In my situation, I often find myself riding alone so I have to “make do” with any pitfalls that may come with it.

I make sure that he’s properly bitted and booted (right now my bit of choice is the Mikmar short shank with double reins, it gives me a bit of leverage when he spooks but I can soften my hands and he sinks right down into the contact) to keep us both safe. The first handful of times we ventured out back, he was looking around, prancing, and spent most of the time trying to convince me he NEEDED to go home. Immediately. Depending on the footing, I would allow him to trot for 10-20 strides, then bring him back to walk, and then repeat. (While you want to avoid letting your horse jig, which is a nervous/anticipatory habit, trying to hold onto 1,200 lbs of horse without letting him bolt home is no fun either!)

As time went on, we ventured out after a big snowfall. It was wonderful.

Beautiful snow!

While he is still spooky out by the back barn (leaving his barn, and heading down the laneway to the track is another barn which houses a variety of pony hunters), once we get down onto the track he is considerably settled. I have been able to relax my contact on the reins and let him decide on his comfort level. We have been able to hack around the track in both directions while on a long rein, without any major issues. I want him to feel confident in his surroundings, and allowing him the freedom of his head and neck to decide when he can relax versus when he needs to be on alert seems to make him feel more settled.

The other day was a big test for us. We have been progressing up to trotting around the track, in both directions, with walk breaks in between. He has been very well behaved, despite the occasional minor “scoot” (which is a miniature version of a bolt, and only lasts about 2-3 strides) here and there but very manageable. We were having walk break when he suddenly went “on alert” and attempted to look behind and stare at something. I had just picked up the reins when he both whirled around and started running sideways. He pulled himself together fairly quickly, and although I could feel his heart absolutely pounding, planted himself firmly in the direction of our new visitor. Turns out it was a friend on her small mare, trotting towards us. He had clearly heard her, but couldn’t see her as she was coming up on his bad side.

While we will have to work on this, his reactions have been slowly and surely improving. This incident reminded me an attempted hack pre-surgery, with another horse attempting to accompany us, when three riders emerged from the woods and scared him so badly he practically bolted sideways about 1/4 of the way home before I could get a handle on him. The fact he is still reacting however in a more controlled manner is very encouraging.

So enjoy the spring weather while you still can, before Mother Nature turns down the temperature to get as much out of winter as possible!

Its been just over four months since Spiker had his eye removed. The swelling finally went completely down after about four to five weeks. Even though he has the silicone ball prosthetic, the eye has sunken somewhat into his skull (not more than a 1/4″ – 1/2″ inch) which took some time getting used to.

Spiker's slightly sunken post-surgical eye

It has been really surprising from everyone at the barn regarding the huge improvement in his behavior. He is a model citizen, walking out to the paddocks in the morning (most times, he’s a Thoroughbred so he definitely gets those “funny” days they tend to have!) quietly, pushing all the other horses aside in the afternoon to come in… his changed outlook has certainly not affected his personality!

The first thing I noticed when getting him back to work in January (except for one short ride, he was off for about 2 months) was that he hadn’t quite figured out lunging to the right. I am a firm believer in ground work, and Spiker is a pro at lunging and long-lining. It was a bit of a surprise to find he would not travel to the right, the side without the eye. No amount of coaxing or encouragement would convince him to take any more than 2-3 steps before he would stop dead and turn in my direction, until he could see me again.

Puzzled, I was not sure what to do. I didn’t like the idea of eliminating ground work, but since everything was still relatively new I decided to take him back to basics. Instead of lunging, we would walk around the arena for 20 minutes, focusing on walk/halt/back up. I made sure to ask him to do these things around obstacles, and with me on either side of him (on his good and impaired side). I communicated with him by scratching him on the neck (to indicate where I was) and talking to him when I was on his bad side.

We practiced this both inside and outside, while grazing and while in crossties. I used my voice to indicate things instead of just the physical cues (i.e., saying “move over” instead of simply applying pressure to his side when leading him).

Once he was comfortable with that, I put him into the long-lines and worked on long-lining him at the walk and a little trot around the arena. Despite being a little look-y and jumping when pigeons flew from the ground up to the rafters, he did not have any problems traveling in either direction on the long-lines.

When I did get back in the saddle, overall he was excellent. He was fairly unsettled by the rattling in the indoor arena, or if a horse came trotting up behind him (on either side) he would spook and do a little bolt forward. He was trying so hard to concentrate on what was happening in front of him, it felt like he was startled by activity going on behind him. I am hoping this resolves with time.

The biggest step forward happened this week, when I had the vet out to assess some other lameness issues he’s been having (unrelated to his eye). The vet asked me to lunge him, and I warned them he would only travel to the left. He had also been inside for most of the week, with only arena turnout until the paddocks are de-iced. I was a little uncomfortable, worried he was going to explode on the lunge. Not only did he trot and canter to the left without any major meltdowns, but (upon the vet’s encouragement) I tried him to the right….

SUCCESS!

He walked and trotted to the right. I didn’t try the canter, but he was excellent. Although the desensitizing may have helped, I think also the extra few months for him to figure out where everything was (even though he can’t see it) has really helped. I was so happy with his progress, as I thought it may take up to a year to see a big improvement however was pleasantly surprised.

I am considering taking his groundwork to the next level and trying something new (to both of us!) which is clicker training. I am hoping that this may bridge the gap by giving him something else to focus on, instead of just what is happening around him.

We will be trying the clicker training starting this week on the ground, and eventually transition to using it while under saddle. I will be sure to update Spiker’s blog as more information is available!

He has adjusted to his new condition extremely well. The vet who performed the surgery speculated that he had already lost most of the vision due to floating debris in the eye, which contributed to his “spooky” behavior. He was becoming difficult to handle, both on the ground and under saddle. Several barn staff members recall stories about strategizing how to get him from his stall to the pasture gate in the mornings, even though it was only 20 feet away.

Now, he’s gone back to his regular self, relaxed and easy-going. It is no longer a battle to get him out to the field, as he walks along quietly and very relaxed. His weight is holding up well and he doesn’t appear to have any health issues at this time.

As for training, my original plan was to longe him to get back some of his fitness (as he’s been off for some time due to my traveling) however I discovered that longing on his “bad” side is not going to happen. He will go along quite well to his left side, with his eye facing me. However, once I change sides so he’s traveling to the right, he will take about one or two steps, stop dead and turn to face me. Even if I can get him trotting, it doesn’t last more than one or two strides before he stops. As an alternative, I have been able to long line or “ground drive” him in double lines. He seems to do much better in that, allowing me to guide him.

This week I finally got back on him (as I have only ridden him once since his surgery). He was fairly spooky in the arena, being in there by himself, with pigeons flying around and snow falling off the roof/horses outside making noise. He kept startling, but otherwise was fairly good. The few following times I have ridden him both outside and then inside, and he was very cooperative and well-behaved. I am sure he will adjust to the arena noises over time. He was never a spooky horse prior to his eye condition, but with only partial vision he became very insecure.

It’s a bitterly cold day today, however I’m sure if I bundle up warmly I will be able to squeak out a short ride. My goal is to get down to the “track” eventually, which is a 1/2 mile trotting track at the back of the farm. There is another barn with some “scary” objects back there and last time I rode him down there he just exploded with fear when some horses and riders burst out of the bush and onto the track.  Now that he’s much calmer I hope to do some conditioning work down there to get OUR fitness back (I am fairly out of shape now as well, having been out of the saddle for so long!) once we get settled with hacking on our own. I am going to see if I can find a calmer, more experienced horse to walk with us until he settles in.
Happy riding!

After 13 long months of battling uveitis, my 11-year old gelding “Spiker Bain” is had his right eye removed (enucleated) on Monday October 19th, 2009.

He has recovered well from surgery, however is now facing secondary challenges with mild colic. He was supposed to return home on Wednesday but has been kept longer for observation. Despite feeling gastrically uncomfortable, he seems to be handling his modified eyesight very well so far, and clearly is ready to go home and get out of the hospital.

While eye removal (properly known as enucleation) is a squeamish topic for many owners of horses with Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), glaucoma and other serious eye conditions, it can provide permanent relief to reoccurring pain. Many horse owners have reported improved attitude and health of their equine friend once the surgery has been performed. There are many options for showhorses, such as special prosthetics that can be painted to match the healthy eye. After an adjustment period, many horses are able to return to work and competition. I myself hope that my gelding will be one of the successful ones!

To learn more about enucleation and equine prosthetics, visit Saving Face When a Horse Loses an Eye and the very detailed Equine Ophthalmology (it is a PDF file, so you will need Adobe Reader or Preview to download and read it) that outlines various enucleation methods in horses.