Buffy was started professionally like our other horses using what is known as Natural Horsemanship. She was round penned and trail ridden, along with all the horses. The difference? . . . Buffy has gone blind at the young age of five!

Buffy was diagnosed with an eye problem called Uveitis. Buffy's diagnosis halted her training while we all learned to deal with this disability. Often the question was raised, Why Buffy? She had so much going for her! As we all come to terms with this, I started to research and learned a lot by watching Buffy's interaction with the herd.

This is Buffy's story:

Buffy just born                                           One day old                             Five months old with Ali and Keno                     Five months old

The First Years

Buffy was born at 11:25 pm on a warm April evening. After a quick and easy birth, the red dun came into the world. Mother quickly named her Buffy, because of her buff coloring. Everyone loved the gentle filly and she became used to being the star attraction.

The first years were happy ones for the young horse. She learned to survive with the herd in the wild back-country of the rugged Prince George area. Wildlife was a large part of her playground and she quickly became used to bears, moose, wolves and many other animals, as well as birds. Nothing phased the youngster.

She would play with the other young foals, amidst the wildflowers, during her adolescence. Buffy became attached to three of the young foals born on the place. Razkel, Keisha and Leah joined Buffy in her daily antics, and they fondly became known as the 'Gruesome Foursome'. Wherever you found one of the youngsters, you found the rest. They were never far apart.

Rising Star

Buffy's round pen lessons

Finally her third birthday came and she started her training later that fall. Buffy was a quick and willing learner. She was backed after one day in the round pen and almost immediately started on light trail work. Buffy was curious about her surroundings and boldly attempted new situations under saddle. She was unconcerned when left behind by the other horses, and questions her rider when she is unsure of herself.

Training rides over obstacles, during the winter and riding for Search and Rescue, both in parades (Buffy packing on the left, accepting pats during the parade) as well as on training searches.

Having been bush raised, Buffy feels at home riding on the back trails, over and through obstacles. We would often call Buffy part moutain goat because of her ability to traverse steep banks, which I couldn't even stand on or walk across. Water and bank work has never been a problem with her. Obstacles on the trail included steep banks with long drop-offs, rough terrain, water & mud, fallen logs & trees, and many more. When she was younger she would follow us around the home trails and later on we would pony her. We also trained over various types of bridges, including our training bridges for Search and Rescue. These include tire bridges, rocking bridges and bridges with stairs and ramps.

Buffy was showing strong potential as a cutting or reining horse. She is well balanced, athletic and sure-footed. She also has the ground covering smooth gait of her dam, which makes her a pleasure to ride. Like Ali (her dam), we can ride Buffy all day long and not feel fatigued.

Buffy being trained as a pack horse.

Buffy's starting out on a pack trip.

Buffy took to packing a load as easily as she took to riders. After a few days of training her in the riding arena, getting used to the packs, we took her along roads and in the fields. We took her out on a day trip up Tabor Mountain where we working on some trails. Buffy packed our supplies during the cold, wet trip up the mountain.

The next pack trip Buffy accompanied us on was an over-nighter. The terrain we traveled on was inconsistent and the horses kept punching through the soft ground or traveling knee deep mud. Once we got into the trees the going was easier although Buffy ran a pannier into a tree once and learned quickly that it was not a good experience. She never did it again. The second morning Buffy accepted the packs willingly.

Pack trip up Tabor Mountain

Over-looking the valley.

All the horses are taught to accept baths and clippers. Buffy was no exception. She was also introduced to blankets at a very young age, as well as trailers. She willingly accepted everything we introduced her to.

Buffy's future was looking bright.

Entering a World of Darkness

Front view of Buffy's eyes Picture's taken on Sunday February 17, 2008 The large cataract in Buffy's left eye makes her right eye seem normal in this picture, until you look closer. 'A cataract is an opacity (the state of being impenetrable to light), that develops in the cornea, (or lens), of the eye.'

Right eye Notice the cataract is not as well defined, or as large, as the one in the left eye. The cloudiness is more visible in this eye.

Left eye A well formed cataract gives the eye an eerie white look.

Then came that fateful day when Buffy started her trip into the world of darkness. I often wonder at the terror the young mare felt, especially at night. We couldn't explain to her what was happening, nor could we tell her we were doing everything we could to stop the progression of this disease. Although horses vision is far superior to ours in the dark hours, Buffy's was quickly deteriorating. She started losing her sight in August 2005 and has almost completely lost it it both eyes within the year. She is totally blind in her near or left eye and has less than 20% vision left in her off or right eye. How did she feel, and how could we explain what was happening and why. Many questions and emotions ran through our minds during this time.

This young mare has learned to utilize her other senses over time, enabling her to follow the herd over all types of terrain. She seems to be able to pick her way through obstacles in her path by the sound of the horse's hooves in front of her. During this time, we let her learn to deal with her problem, while we observed her.

Buffy went through many emotions herself as she lost her vision. She distanced herself from the herd, including her three partners in crime, and even tried with people. She became aggressive towards other horses and even showed anger towards people she didn't recognize. Buffy then became extremely spooky, spooking at other horses, people, dogs and sometimes even leaves flying by. Buffy ostracized herself from the herd during the process of losing her sight. She was now at the bottom in the herd dynamics.

A question we asked each other and ourselves many times was, do we separate her from the herd. After much debate we opted to leave her with the herd of ten other horses, and in the end it turned out to be the best decision for Buffy. She eventually did learn to follow the sound of their hooves over rough terrain. Even when the horses went into the bush and forest in the back of the property, Buffy always managed to stay with them. She learned to sense others around her, using her other senses: sound, touch and smell. Even vibrations from the ground seemed to alert her to a presence. We would often play games with Buffy, trying to sneak up on the gallant mare, but she would always let us know we were caught once again.

The first word we always teach our young horses is 'whoa'. This is something we emphasized with Buffy as she was going blind. Many times we have saved her from running into something or over a person just with the use of that simple command. Buffy has learned to stop and wait for the next cue from the handler.

Accepting The Challenge

There are no books written for training the blind horse, so we approached this new challenge with only our knowledge of horses, successful training methods we have used, and their herd dynamics. We used basic knowledge for training the normal horse and added the disability into the equation. Watching Buffy, she lets us know what is working for her as her training progresses.

Susan re-training Buffy on the lunge line, in hand, and then Kris takes her on an impromptu ride over the walk rails.

We decided we needed to start by training Buffy to voice aids. The first words Buffy has learned after 'Whoa' were, 'Back', 'Step', 'Up' and 'Down'. We also use the word 'easy' when she needs to carefully pick her footing, but when it does not merrit a more defined command. We all try not to use these words in our vocabulary, while working around Buffy, unless we're giving the command. We always give the command clearly and often use Buffy's name to attract her attention, although she is constantly listening to us.

The 'Whoa' and 'Back' command are self explanatory, although 'up' is used for going uphill, 'down' for going downhill, and 'step' is used for stepping over objects, while landing on the same level. An example of the 'up' command is Buffy being led in hand by Susan up the stairs on the bridge. Notice Buffy is waiting for each individual command, as she confidently feels her way over the obstacle. This is the first time she has navigated this bridge since she has lost her sight. A good example of the 'step' command is Kris walking Buffy over the walk rails.

Buffy went on her first trail ride around the property since her disability. Those of us riding other horses (even friends riding with us) have learned to say the first letter of the word in a sentence, when we are riding through dense forest in front of Buffy. This seems to work well by helping to remind the person riding Buffy to give her verbal commands consistently. It also helps to let Buffy's rider know of impending obstacles. We also believe this helps guide her in the correct direction as she also follows our voices.

As we travel along the trails, Buffy will often take the time to feel the terrain with the hairs on her muzzle. If she is not sure and feels her rider has not given her a definate cue, she will stop and query her rider.

We still ask for turns on forehand and haunches, as well as leg yielding, while we are riding her in the arena. During the arena work, we are also teaching Buffy to work on her own. Most of the time while I am riding Buffy, Kris is busy giving a riding lesson so I will often use the sound of the other horse to calm her down or help move Buffy forward with confidence. We have not progressed past the trot or jog yet, but we are determined that we will learn if that is possible in the future. She can still gallop with the herd, so why not. Anything is possible, isn't it?

Re-training Buffy includes young riders

Eventually we are hoping to train Buffy to accept young, autistic and disabled riders. Buffy has shown extreme compassion already for young riders, watching she gives them a carefull, smooth ride. She seems to sense their inability to look after themselves and adopts the role of caretaker or guardian.

The one thing we have learned with Buffy, is that you cannot work successfully with a blind horse if you do not have their complete trust. You can make mistakes and the horse will forgive you, but a blind horse easily loses their own confidence. If the blind horse does lose their confidence in themself, have patience, they will eventually look to you, if they trust you. You cannot rush them. Buffy trusts all people, so she has been easy to work with.

We have also learned that you need to talk around a blind horse, so they know exactly where you are at all times. Buffy does not like to be touched until she hears a human voice. She may always be a little spooky, although I believe she will learn to deal with her disability totally. She has learned to move forward when we ride her. I hope to have others ride her when she is further advanced in her training. She remains quiet, unless she is startled, though even then, her spooks are becoming more mild and sometimes non-existant.

Buffy listening to everything around her

We experiment with Buffy's training, learning little theory's, such as keeping equipment simple and using no boots. Buffy often feels objects with her legs and muzzle and we have found less injuries happen when we follow these simple rules. We found we needed to keep the long hairs around Buffy's muzzle and eyes long as she used them to feel objects.

As we work completely around Buffy, we try to keep a hand on her at all times. She has learned not to jump whenever we touch her now, providing she has heard us talking recently. We are also finding that we are able to take our hands off her and touch her in other areas with only a mild inquisitive query from Buffy.

Buffy's ears constantly follow us around as we work with her and often we even forget she is blind, until she bumps into us. Even something as slight as a misplaced stone or pebble will alert her to our exact position. Sometimes it is a matter of Buffy just reaching out and touching us with her muzzle, although sometimes she misjudges the distance and the bump is a little hard.

All horses need to be disciplined at some time. Blind horses are no exception. We always need to be aware that these are large, powerful animals, which can hurt us, or themselves, very quickly. I have often been asked, isn't there a risk factor involved with training and riding a blind horse. Yes, there is, which is why we need to ensure the horse is well-behaved at all times. Picture a blind horse bolting across the field in panic, running straight for you. A simple command towards a well-behaved and disciplined horse will stop or divert it. A horse which has been neglected to be disciplined will most likely continue towards you, making you side-step. I have see this happen with sighted horses lacking respect as well. The Alpha Horse is never run over by a horse in their herd, but a horse higher in herd status will run into another or bump it if it's in their path.

During one episode of putting horses away off the field, Buffy got left behind. I called her and she raised her head to listen. Realizing the herd was going to bed, she raced towards my voice. As she came down the roadway, I realized she was galloping straight at me. A simple command and the sound of my voice slowed and diverted her immediately. These are the risks, a person must be aware of while working with these horses. Yes, I could put her in a small, flat paddock with her food and water always placed in one corner, but would she be happy? I know she is happy now with the herd and as long we maintain discipline and awareness, we will all be alright.

I am often asked why I don't just put her down and out of her misery. That it would be so much easier and less expensive. This is true, but I cannot justify putting a horse down because she has become disabled, especially if there is a chance the horse may become useful for a reason. Buffy has acquired a new lease in life since we started riding and training her again. I was always taught that there is a reason for everything. I feel Buffy has come into my life for a reason and I mean to give her the chance to let me find out what that reason is. I accepted the challenge with Keno. Is Buffy really that much different? The challenge is just different. I feel I am up to it and I have the support and assistance of my sister, who also trains horses and is helping me with Buffy.

Our adventure with Buffy as a blind horse has only just begun. We are hoping for success in the future and who knows where this will all lead. I am seeing the stars, although I will be happy if we even make . . . just the horizon.

Maybe the future will be bright for this gallant blind equine after all.

During the process we tried many different means of assisting Buffy with finding the herd. I tried braiding large bells into Keisha's tail, but Keisha was constantly loosing them. Recently we found an old cow bell, which we had put on a horse my sister owned, so we could keep track of the herd in the bush. I have placed this bell on Keisha now. This seems to have helped calm Buffy and she no longer constantly whinnies for the herd, but listens for the bell.

The small herd of horses which Buffy has lived with all her life have learned to watch out for her. Although she no longer plays with the youngsters, they keep an eye on her. They no longer pin their ears when she gets too close, or bumps into them. They have learned she doesn't respond. I was walking with a friend out to the horses one day last summer and found them on the road between fields. Buffy wandered close to Merlin, the dominant gelding, and he pinned his ears back at her. Buffy proceeded to stand in place and Merlin looked at us in total confusion. After several attempts to back Buffy off, Merlin finally walked away.

I have been unable to stay consistent with her training during this past year due to her bouts with the advancement of the disease. During the progression of this painful disease, Buffy accepts her medication and then prefers to stand alone while she learns to deal with further loss of sight. Whenever the disease goes into remission, I continue working with Buffy, both on the ground and riding her.

I am now using a mask I purchased from Race-Pro Manufacturing to protect Buffy's eyes from branches. I can now concentrate on Buffy's footing and larger branches on the trails. Buffy accepted the hood without question and it stays where I place it.

A young girl was intrigued with the idea of working with a blind horse, so I agreed to her coming out and spending time with Buffy. I encouraged the person to ride Buffy but after a couple of weeks, the young girl quit coming. Fortunately Buffy hadn't learned to look forward to her visits yet.

Buffy appreciates her handler to work with confidence. She has learned to listen to our movements around her and we find we don't have to talk constantly anymore. She has learned to follow directly behind her handler and listen for their footsteps. Buffy has also learned to come when we call her, especially when the herd has left and she needs guidance.

One day as we called the herd in from the large field to close them in for the night, Buffy didn't respond. She had been busy enjoying the grazing and continued, oblivious to the fact the horses were leaving her. Suddenly sensing she was being left alone, Buffy started to panic. I gave her my special whistle, which I have used with her from the first day she was born and Buffy stopped to listen. I whistled again and Buffy responded with a whinny. She then followed my voice as I encouraged her to come to the gate I was standing by. It was not the one we let the herd through. Once I coaxed her through the gate I gave her a quick pat and then standing aside I clucked to her. She lowered her head and recognizing the paddock she was now in, she trotted to far gateway and into the other field with the herd.

We have taught Buffy to wait after giving the 'whoa' command, which seems to help with any further commands, if they are needed. Periodically, Buffy has been seen running directly at an obstacle, stopping when she would hear someone calling out 'whoa'. She then feels for the obstacle with her muzzle hairs and legs and after finding it, works her around it.

Buffy decided she needed to wander off to the creek for a drink of water one day while we were working in the feed area. I watched Buffy work her way down the roadway leading to the stream. Placing her feet carefully, she would feel the footing and whenever she felt she was going astray, she would use her acquired skill and find the correct direction. We continued to work while she was gone and then after several minutes, we heard Buffy's whinny. I called back to her and a couple of minutes later watched her work her way back to the herd.

Buffy was trained at a young age to respond to touch, which has helped us work with her. Laying a hand on her chest stops any forward movement. This has helped many times when Buffy was going blind. We were able to stop Buffy so we could work with her when she wanted nothing to do with anyone or any other equine. This proved useful when putting a halter on her so we could medicate her. Now that Buffy is totally blind it helps when she is excited. We are able to step beside her path of travel and laying a hand on her chest, she stops immediately.

Kris riding Merlin, letting Buffy cool down in a lake during a pack trip in hot weather.

I continue to use Buffy as a pack horse, as well as riding horse. One day I even hope to try reining with her. I will always have to remember to be her eyes.

Buffy's disability isn't slowing us down. Lacy, the 10 year old rescued Rottweiler still joins us on our rides.

I sometimes think I would like to bring her to the exhibition grounds near my own home, so I could work with her daily, but realize that would be so unfair to her. She would have the disadvantage of no sight, and many people tend to tantalize what they do not understand, or what is not perfect in a not so perfect world. She would be left alone and unprotected for the majority of the time while I am working or sleeping. For the time being, she is safer at my parents ranch, where she can watched daily.

As she builds her confidence, I plan to take her out of her element. I hope to develop a stronger bond between Buffy and her handlers, building Buffy's confidence in them. I am also hoping to find someone willing to work with her, someone I can trust to treat her kindly while still maintaining discipline. I want to know Buffy will survive if something ever happens to me and I am unable to care for her.

I know Buffy will never be able to travel the rugged trails we ride, but if I choose my trails carefully and have patience when Buffy does have to feel her way over and through the more difficult obstacles, I know we can have fun. I will never be able to drop the reins and let Buffy take me home as I was once able to. Now, I am her eyes and I can never forget that.

Buffy will always have a home with me as long as I am physically and financially able to look after her properly. I cannot bear to think of what could happen to this trusting equine if I had to find another home for her.

New Beginnings

Buffy learning to lead properly again. Walking off Christmas dinner gives us a wonderful excuse to work with Buffy as family.

During the month of December 2007, we decided Buffy needed to be moved into the home paddock with the senior geldings. We are able to watch the horses anytime we want as the house overlooks the paddocks. The horses are free fed hay, and grained daily. Buffy has learned to appreciate the pampering.

I put the bell on my ex-racehorse, who spends most of his at the hay, but Buffy is content to follow the sounds Kris' 3-day-eventer, Merlin. Merlin is constantly pacing, and Buffy keeps him company, much to his chagrin. When Buffy is tired or hungry, she joins Keno at the hay pile.

I am now taking Buffy for walks with us down the road whenever we go. As I lead her through the narrow gate, we pause so I can touch Buffy's muzzle to each gate post, showing her the width. She questions whether she has to jump, step or walk by raising a foreleg high in the air and pausing, until I give her the walk command and she boldly passes through the gateway.

Working with Buffy as blind horse means I have to constantly watch her.

Walking down the road, I am teaching Buffy to lead properly. Each time she swings her head towards me, my hand is steady, blocking her path. As she feels the bump on her cheek or muzzle, she swings her back to the forward position. Each time she steps over to crowd me, she comes in contact with the end of the whip handle, held steady, telling her this is my space. Whenever I get tired, I let my sister Kris know, and she clips on the second lead rope. Buffy learns to maintain a steady pace while at the same time, she learns not to pull on either line. As she progresses I will need Kris' assistance less.

Buffy's confidence is growing in leaps and bounds each time we work with her. She no longer whinnies for the other horse's as we go for our walks. Each time she feels comfortable with a lesson, we add another task. These lessons seem to teach her more self-confidence than taking her for rides with the horses.

Ponying Buffy down the road with the dogs running by our side.

Buffy is learning to look forward to our excursions down the road. We mount the boys and take the three horses down the road at a walk and trot. While re-building her confidence, Buffy also gets exercise, increasing her stamina for the next seasons training. Keno still wears his bell, which adds a festive mood to our winter rides. Serious training takes place in the following seasons, while still enjoying the challenges of mountain trail riding. Winter is a time to enjoy our horses and take is easy.

A friend and fellow trainer learned about Buffy, while Kris and I were shopping for Christmas presents, and expressed interest in working the blind horse. I am excited, as I trust her training abilities and Buffy will be taken out of her element while still staying in a safe environment. She would be staying at the trainers home for a couple of months next fall while she continues her training. Buffy has not ridden in a trailer since she has gone totally blind but I am confident we will have no problem loading and hauling her. She has always been a willing loader and had good experiences in the trailers.

Riding Buffy in traffic for the first time since she lost her sight completely.

April 20th, we hauled Buffy into town and rode her in amongst the busy traffic near the Exhibition Grounds. Buffy was a trouper and most vehicles passing were good about the horses. Some even slowed down, which we greatly appreciated. We only came upon one idiot who thought he was being cool, but was not only far from it but promptly got ignored as I concentrated on ensuring passage for Buffy across the busy 4 lane intersection. Several people realized there was something different about and I am sure some realized she had no visibility.

Check back to see how Buffy is doing. I will update this page as we progress in her training and as we are able to take more pictures. In the meantime, check out her re-training as it progresses at
Training the Blind Horse.