Hi, Looking for any advice for helping an 11 year old girl trying to compete without use of any aides in the hunter/jumper class. Are there any competitions for visually impaired child riders? Coaches? We are afraid to ask for accommodations as they might not allow to compete.
Just curious re her visual diagnosis…I work with visually impaired students and I also own horses.
Bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia. She is completely normal other than vision.
Are you actually expecting her to jump?!?! Your insurance provider might quibble at that. Is she totally blind, or just somewhat impaired?
I know of a blind girl who competed in saddle seat classes, several decades ago. The horse used has to be a super-safe packer, that can be trusted to stay on the rail and/or avoid any traffic.
Is she classed as legally blind? Does she have some vision to get her around a course? My sons has a vision disability that occurred when he was 7. He rode for some time at a therapeutic barn but they moved him so slowly. We had our own farm so we got him a fun/safe horse to progress at home but still continued with the therapy barn. We secured a horse that was a step up from his starter horse. He took lessons on him and when he was 16 we competed in dressage. I contact the show secretary and discussed the situation with them. Didn’t ask for any accommodations and he competed against other able bodied riders. They just told the judge that there was a rider in a certain class with a disablitity. They allowed me to walk them over to ring entrance and then he was on his own. I called the test and stood either at E or B. When he passed me he found his place in the ring. He had great success except in one class at one show. His second class he redeemed himself. It was difficult to watch he got lost in the ring. They rang the bell and he came over to me and we re-grouped. He finished the year as Champion in his division.
As far as jumping that it a tough thing to imagine. They may not allowed it based on their insurance. My son did do some jumping and it was scary to watch. I think it even gave him a fright at times.
It really depends on her degree of vision and skill and if the venue’s insurance will allow this.
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She rides independently. We do schooling in off hours so as to keep her and others safe.
i guess she is unusual. I cannot find any articles or info on how best to help her.
her vision is 20/250 in both eyes.
Does she do a course, or a few jumps or little cavellettis? Can she see the obstacles or do you talk her through it and count down to the jump…Likes 3-2-1 jump. I have seen blind wearing headsets and their coach talks them through the course. I have seen totally blind ride dressage and as they get close to the letter/markers a person stands there and keeps saying the letter as they get closer. So a spotter at each letter while the test is being called.
My son had the opportunity to ride some schoolmasters in dressage. The coach had some questions. I basically said to explain something ahead of where she want him to do the movement. Described the aids etc.
He did fabulous! I worked off those lessons and it was thrilling for me to see him progress and enjoy riding with a trained horse. His first lesson was leg yield down the centre line. W,T,C and then she introduced half pass centre line. He even did canter half pass. She had him canter a diagonal and the aid was just basically scissor your legs and he got fabulous flying changes. His later lessons he worked on collection and more expressive gaits and even passage and piaffe steps. I was so happy he was able to enjoy that experience before he went off to University.
I will say though my son sits a horse well. Excellent posture and sits deep with a lovely sitting trot. At home our horse was just learning leg yield with me. So he would get flustered trying to achieve the movement because the horse was still green in training. Horse was a retired jumper and being introduced to dressage. A sensible, steady horse for him when he was in regular work.
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we had a blind rider at my barn in the late 80s She rode over fences and in small local shows. She said she knew when she was three strides from a fence because she could feel her horse “see” the fence and adjust himself. She was featured in a People magazine item. USEF Dressage permits blind riders in competition and allows them to use talking letters. You might see if the USEF has any references for helping para riders. The British Horse society may also have some references.
We also had a blind rider at our barn riding hunter/jumpers. She started in a theraputicriding program, gained confidence, and then competed in open shows. She even did hunter under saddle classes and equitation classes at some shows. She was allowed to wear something like ear plugs which allowed her to listen to her coach for directions - like which way to turn. She always knew if she had it right because the horse told her as she approached the jumps but coach helped her navigate the course. She was an excellent rider. Her horse was donated to the riding program initially and then was given to her to compete with. He was a former polo pony. They were a great pair. The right rider with the right coach and the right horse at the right time.
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I think it would be wrong to not let the show know that the child has, what sounds like, a serious disability, that may affect her safety, and possibly the safety of others. The show may have ideas on how to help, or may decide it is too risky a liability.
I hope you find a way to help her show!
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