Will This horse make a good hunter?

[kyleekhansen]

. She is blind in one eye and had a bone chip in her knee which was removed and X-rays and ultrasounds clean.
[IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f222/horselove1881/image.jpg1.jpg)
[IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f222/horselove1881/image.jpg3.jpg)
[IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f222/horselove1881/image.jpg2.jpg)
[IMG]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f222/horselove1881/image.jpg4.jpg)

[OpeningBell]

I find it pretty hard to tell from pictures. What does she move like? Any head on shots of the front legs and back on shots of the back to get a better idea of conformation? What is her age? Her training? Her personality? Lots of things go in to making a hunter. What level are you planning on riding at? Local schooling shows, with the occasional 3 foot class means a wholly different thing than showing at 3’ in good company at large rated shows.

She is cute, but I can’t tell much other than that from the photos

[m_m1]

I agree that she is cute. She doesn’t have a particularly large, open stride. Last time I was in the show ring (which has been awhile!) blindness was considered an unsoundness.

She does also seem to have a dip between her neck and her withers. If I was horse shopping, I would walk away. You are trying to accomplish two things at once, God love ya! So the question is, what level hunters - local? Big time? In between? Also, which is more important to you - the ribbons, which, let’s face it, we all love, or a horse who will be extremely special that may or may not do well at the shows?

I’m not sitting in judgement of your answer, just so you know.

[kyleekhansen]

[QUOTE=m&m;8138577]
I agree that she is cute. She doesn’t have a particularly large, open stride. Last time I was in the show ring (which has been awhile!) blindness was considered an unsoundness.

She does also seem to have a dip between her neck and her withers. If I was horse shopping, I would walk away. You are trying to accomplish two things at once, God love ya! So the question is, what level hunters - local? Big time? In between? Also, which is more important to you - the ribbons, which, let’s face it, we all love, or a horse who will be extremely special that may or may not do well at the shows?

I’m not sitting in judgement of your answer, just so you know.[/QUOTE]

I’m aiming at doing B rated shows (CEC Circuit) and possibly a AA show every once in awhile.

[m_m1]

I’d do it.

[zakattack]

I see nothing conformationally that jumps out as problematic for a 3’ horse to me (maybe some long pasterns affecting soundness over time).

The only thing I would ask is whether she has already be started over fences and if her blindness affects her jumping in any way.

[Small_Change]

Are there any rules in the US concerning soundness of eye in the hunter ring? The Equine Canada rule is that, “Horses must be serviceably sound in eye, wind and limb,” (G 406.2) which admittedly is up to a bit of interpretation.

[caryledee]

USEF rules state: Animals with complete loss of sight in either eye may be found serviceably sound at the Judge’s discretion, except in a class over fences where a Judge may ask a rider to change horses.

[mvp]

OP, I think she’s cute and well-balanced.

Theoretically, the mare can’t have much depth perception, being a cyclops and all. But I’ll bet she gets around in the world on the flat just fine.

If I were considering buying, I’d really want to see her after she had been taught to jump-- even a little bit. If trying to find a fence worries her because she doesn’t see that well, you might be signing her up a job that’s too hard for her.

If, OTOH, she has a good canter and a good, ammy-friendy mind, I might buy one like this, start her nicely, see if she wanted to jump and then be prepared to switch her to dressage if she liked everything but jumping. I’d do that before I had too much money in and I’d work on getting her broke and rideable fast, so as to limit my investment while I figured out what the blindness would mean for my original goal of making her into a hunter. But be really honest with yourself about her canter and her mind-- she’ll need nice ones to do either job well.

Nice find! I think she’s an attractive horse.

[BITSA]

There’s another threat somewhere (recent) on horses with one eye. I know there’s a European GP horse who only has one eye. I wouldn’t let that alone in and of itself stop you

[findeight]

I’ve ridden and even jumped a one eyed Hunter. That, in itself, is not that big a deal BUT they require a careful ride. They have to see what they are jumping well back and can sometimes misjudge a combination until they are almost at the base of the first element thinking its a spread and over jumping the in. You have to be pretty good at riding to a good distance, they don’t seem to be able to jump from anywhere if you get a bad spot.

Andyou can’t roll back to a fence on their blind side in Jumper or Eq, even in the Huters a real short distance off a corner with blind side on the inside is a problem. In a crowded show environment, things on their blind side can get them upset.

However, the horse I rode was well schooled over fences and had show mileage before losing the eye and, despite my usual show performances, I can focus on and get pretty good spots most of the time. Others with one eye I’ve been around also were well schooled before losing sight. I am not so sure they can learn to jump courses with no depth perception and a rather large blind spot with the average rider. Should think it would take a pretty good Pro to build their confidence. Hitting a rail they didn’t see well could be disastrous for a half blind Greenie.

[PaintPony]

What you can’t tell from a picture is if she has the right mind to be a hunter. Not every horse does. Is she quiet?