Blind Horse Shows Off His Charming Coping Skills

Bart may have lost his vision, but his clever coping mechanisms seem perfectly intact!

Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary has all sorts of animals- birds, bunnies, dogs, cats (big and small!), and of course, horses. And while they get their fair share of attention for their gorgeous lions  and clever cockatoos, Bart the horse–who is completely blind–really brings his own special magic to what they do there. Bart was raised on a farm in Texas for several years until his owner moved away for school and could no longer be there to address Bart’s special needs. That’s when Cedarhill agreed to step in and offer him a permanent home.

Photo courtesy of Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary

He’s now been at the sanctuary for five years, and is doing marvelously! One of Bart’s daily activities is giving himself exercise on familiar territory: a track that he’s worn into his paddock over the years. According to the staff at Cedarhills, he finds it relaxing!

Among Bart’s other challenges is safely getting to his stall and feed morning and night. Over time, he has learned to make his way to the shed, graze the outer edge, pivot, and back in. From there, he clearly knows how to follow his nose!

(Note – you will have to be signed in to your Facebook account to see the video, but trust us, it’s worth it!)

Bart isn’t the only vision-impaired horse at the sanctuary- his OTTB buddy Flash is blind in one eye and partially blind in the other, but both have learned to make do, and the two chestnut geldings are often turned out together.

We send a hearty Horse Nation salute to Cedarhills Animal Sanctuary for making room in your lives and facilities for these two fellers, and for sharing their amazing everyday lives!

Photo Courtesy of Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary

Go Bart.