For a while i have suspected his eyesight was not all it it should be. For those who have been following this blog, we have had a few problems with the backing process. I hoped I had just lost my touch, that he was a young lad.
Turns out there's nothing wrong with my instinct (sadly).
The vet came out Monday to give little Dora a tetanus, so I got her to check Charlies eyes. She started with the nearside. When I lead him from the nearside he crowds me. When I try and lunge him anti clockwise, he resists. I don't believe in 'problem' ponies. Not when they are bright and affectionate. If they obviously love and trust you, but still object to something (obvs not windsurfing or walking through a pit filled with lions), then it is nearly always a physical problem.
A few years ago I had an ex stunt horse. He bucked for England. He would bite me when I tacked him up. I had been told by several people he was nuts, dangerous, blah blah. Once he learnt to trust me, I would go in his stable when he was laying down. He never got up. I would sit down and he would put his head on my lap for a cuddle and stroke. I decided there was no way a dangerous horse would behave like this.....so I spent a lot of time and money getting to the bottom of his problem. Turned out he had broken vertebrae in his back. Eventually as he grew, he couldn't even bear a rug on, and was very lame. So I had him put down. I was gutted.....But even more gutted it had taken me two years to find the problem.
So back to Charlie. He is so bright and sweet and funny. And willing to please. I knew deep in my guts it was physical. The near side eye was fine. I started to think I had got it wrong. BUT.......The vet found a cataract on the offside, right in the centre of the retina. This means he can only see light and dark and shadows on that side. She thinks he was born with it.
I was slightly puzzled, as I thought it the other eye. But the Vet worked it out. When I lead on the nearside, he can see me but not the world, so he huddles in for protection. When I lead on the off side, he gives me space, because he knows its me and can see everything else. Same with lunging. He's happy to have his bad eye towards me, as he knows I have his back.
We can continue as normal, now I am armed with this knowledge. He must trust me, so we can build on that and hopefully we will get to the point where he is less spooky and trusts me when I am on him, not just in front or beside him.
I am sad that this brave and beautiful pony has this problem at such a young age.....but we can do this together. I can be his right eye and he can be my lungs.
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