I think my horse is deaf...

[Blackwater Farm]

As some of ya'll might remember I just recently purchased a little stallion (soon to be gelding!), my first since my filly passed last September. He is a sorrel splash, about 5 years old. I have known that splashs run the risk of being deaf but I guess it just never clicked until this morning. I had a friend that had a deaf horse, full size not fun size, and he was always very nervous and jerky. My boy is exactly the opposite, very chill and laid back, gets rattled by nothing. Well I think I know why. I was walking behind him this morning, out of the kick zone of course, and pulled a plastic bag out of my pocket without thinking and noticed that he never even turned an ear to me. Thats when it clicked... So I took the bag and stood behind him and shook the fire out of it and again, no reaction what so ever. I clapped my hands real loud, nothing. I also too a metal trash can lid and a stick and bang bang bang all around him. I wasnt just tapping it either! All the other horses nearby were headed for the next county but he just stood there and looked at me like a had 3 heads. I wonder though, because there was once that he did jump a bit when I really smashed it but I dont know if it was from the sound or the fact that I was whoopin' around like I'd lost my mind. Have any of you had a deaf mini? Should I continue his driving training? Will he be safe to drive? Anything you know or any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated! I have already called my vet, and she is calling NC State to ask some questions. I'm one of her only mini clients so I am always presenting her with new challanges! Thank ya'll again!

**He looks a bit sunburned, this is from when I first brought him home. But dont worry! He gets sunscreen and his fly mask every day now!

 

[Riverrose28]

Please don't fret! I once had a deaf mare that passed in 2008, I miss her dearly. Think of it as a blessing, and not a problem. This mare was so steady and reliable she was a blessing. She would watch me and show very well in halter, and her thing was halter obstacle, as she couldn't hear she used her eyes and looked at everything. Even though they can't hear they can still feel vibrations and respond, also they are very visual to your clues and aids. Look to your horse as ablessing and dont' worry about them not hearing, you and he can work around it, even in driving or whatever you two plan to do!

 

[Carolyn R]

I can't tell you wether he is deaf or not, it has to due with the lack of pigmentation and deadening of the nerve receptors in the inner ear fromwhat I understand. I will however say, VERY ENTHUSIASTICLY,at that, TRAIN HIM, USE HIM, JUMP HIM, DO OBSTACLE WITH HIM, TRAIN HIM TO THE CART, GIVE HIM A PURPOSE!!!!! There are deaf horses that are trained to drive, there are one eyed, or partially blind or for that matter even totally blind horses that are being used for driving and riding every day. It is a horse by horse scenario, but if he is unflappable then go for it!

I have a beatuful mare (full size) that had a very sudden tramatic eye injury in the beginning of January 2012, while the people on the backporch know her story, members on here may not. The injury occured around 3:30 in the afternoon, she was in surgery at New Bolton (Penn Vet) by 10:30 that evening. Her eye was removed, I was devestated, sick to my stomach, all my plans for her to be trained this year, for the wondeful family horse I wanted, the fortune I spent on my dreamhorse just washed away in a flood of emotions......Fast forward till now....guess what, she completed her two months with a trainer, she is home being ridden on the roads, trails and in the woods, she goes out solo or in a group, she is remarkable and is only 3.5 years old. They are only limited by our own doing and pitty, my dreamhorse has one eye, and has opened my mind and my heart up more than you can imagine, our adventures have only begun.

 

[SilverRose Farms]

My deaf mini was by far my best driving mini. While it took me awhile to figure out how to train him to drive once I did he was AMAZING. He never had issues with ANYTHING. I drove him on the road, through obstacles, over under and through just about EVERYTHING. He was my most reliable driving horse by far!!!! If you want to talk privately about how he was trained to drive I would be happy to email back and forth over it.

 

[little lady]

Use him and do everything you can with him! A friend of mine had a Paint horse gelding marked just about like your lil fella and she did everything with him, he was one of the most awesome horses I have ever been around!

 

[shorthorsemom]

On occasion I have wished my boy was deaf when those "imaginary rattlesnakes" are rustling around in the weeds. LOL, just kidding. I have known people to put foam inserts into the ears of overly noise sensitive horses when riding. http://reviews.smartpakequine.com/7493/8366/equifit-t-foam-earplugs-reviews/reviews.htm hmmm, train and enjoy him I say and imagine he has his own built in ear plugs.

 

[Blackwater Farm]

Thank you sooo much everyone!!! He has definitly been a good boy so far and I plan to continue with him just as I have been!

 

[WashingtonCowgirl]

Does he always hold his ears like that? Because you can tell 99% of the time if a horse is deaf by looking at the position they hold their ears. They have a "floppy" ish appearance

 

[misty'smom]

Animals are so different from humans with disabilities. Animals adapt to their disability quickly, humans have the emotional side so they adapt slower. Even though we are devastated for them they are over it. I have learned a lot the past 18 months.....my 5 year old dachshund Grace woke up one morning and was paralyzed in her hind end. She was in bad shape but my wonderful vet said not to give up. I took her for acupuncture treatments and did some PT with her at home. She now can move about (not far) pulling herself and she has a wheelchair for walks. Although she needs a little extra care she is a very happy little girl. And as a bonus if you are the caregiver you develop a very special bond with these animals. God gave us these creatures to share our lives and some with disabilities are sent to special people too!! So don't be discouraged you were meant to have this little guy!!

 

[SilverRose Farms]

Does he always hold his ears like that? Because you can tell 99% of the time if a horse is deaf by looking at the position they hold their ears. They have a "floppy" ish appearance

My deaf one never had floppy ears. Neither have a ton of the paints and pintos Ive seen and met who are deaf either. In fact my hearing horses hold their ears much floppier.

 

[WashingtonCowgirl]

My deaf one never had floppy ears. Neither have a ton of the paints and pintos Ive seen and met who are deaf either. In fact my hearing horses hold their ears much floppier.

Really? Nearly every deaf horse I've heard of holds their ears at weird angles. I'm not sure that floppy was the word I was looking for... but they hold them differently than hearing horses, in my experience.

 

[shorthorsemom]

My horses do that with their ears sometime between the click of the camera and when the photo happens on my camera... too funny..I have tons of photos of my guys with their ears in the same position.. I swear they hear the click and are pivoting to hear where it came from..darn camera delay..I take the back of my goats heads too. Haha

 

[HGFarm]

I have never had a deaf horse, but do have two deaf cats. They are the most AWESOME pets and dont miss a thing. Nobody who ever comes over knows they are deaf vs. my hearing cats. Yep, I would treat him just normally and sounds like you will have an awesome little performance horse there!

 

[JennyB]

Hi..yes I know that many splash's are deaf..I think they can get along just fine in life. They can feel vibrations. If you want to know for sure take him to a vet collage and ask them to give him a Bayer hearing test. I did that at WSU one year with a colt that I thought was also deaf and it turned out he could hear very good in one ear and about 1/2 in the other. He is still getting along very well, but he can hear. I wouldn't worry about it, get him tested if you want to and teach him hand signals and such.

Goood luck and God Bless,

Jenny

 

[susanne]

There have been several threads on the driving forum regarding training deaf horses to drive. Do a search on that board for "deaf," as they may be in the archives.

 

[Blackwater Farm]

Thank you everyone so much for your help and inspirations! I know what you mean by holding his ears "floppy". He actually keeps them in that position most of the time and never really pricks them up unless he is directly looking at something interesting. I have been really watching him the last few days and noticing these little things that I wasn't really paying attention to before. But now it kinda makes sense. After watching him I have to say I am almost positive that he is mostly, if not completely deaf. Either way I love him just the same and he will have a forever home with me as I could not bear to think what could happen to the poor thing in less understanding hands! Thanks again everyone!!!!

 

[Sandy Allen]

I lurk around here but I needed to post to this one. Thank you everyone for not counting a horse with a disability out! I have a boy that was born blind (his eyes never developed properly). He is such a love and completely trusting of everyone around him! He just turned 4 and I want to start giving him a job but was worried that his blindness would hold him back. Now I'm inspired to start giving him a purpose.

Thanks

Sandy A

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Hi Lindsay-it will be interesting, and a learning experience, to watch you in your journey with this little guy. I wouldn't be surprised if you notice an improvement--more finesse--in your training techniques. I know that with Casper (my avatar horse), I have very quickly had to learn to be more subtle in how I ask for things, versus how I trained my big horses. Littler horses seem to need littler cues..(

HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA...Imagine that!!!!

) This is working with a stallion, so I'm anxious to add to my little herd. Also, I dropped you a pm....Julie