Grace had a big breakthrough and I have no pictures! John went out to play with her after work and she was still really not ready to stand still while he reached out with his hand to rub her neck. So he tried reaching out with a training stick and she stood there no problem! She's itchy, shedding her coat, so she really enjoyed being scratched all over her neck and chest with the stick. He inched his hand up and before you know it he was scratching all over her head, neck and shoulder. I got to scratch her jaw, under her chin, and around her ears from outside the pen. What a good girl! It'll be no problem at all to attach a lead rope when the time comes, and it looks like work with haltering isn't too far off. But for now she's really enjoying being scratched.
I love reading about your progress with your new mustang. But I hope you don't mind me changing the subject...I just got off the phone with a person interested in Sassy. She hadn't actually seen my ad (someone else told her about it), and when I described Sassy as having some appaloosa characteristics (white sclera, stripey hooves, and spotting in her white "paint" blotches), she got into a "disagreement" with me about the white sclera. She claimed to be some AQHA and cross inspector and said that white sclera is a genetic defect and that horse will be blind in a few years. I said no, white sclera is just when the "whites" of the eye are white instead of brown like on typical horses, and has no bearing on a horses ability to see. She kept arguing with me and said she knew the difference between a blue eye and white sclera (which Sassy has both) and that she knows the blue eye is okay, but a white stripe is not okay. I said she has no white "stripe", it is a white sclera...sclera. I stated I am a vet student who knows anatomy, suggested she look up the sclera. She wouldn't accept what I said and we ended the phone call, politely, but she decided she wasn't interested and I decided I am not interested in selling her to someone who doesn't know the story behind the white sclera but yet claims to be some "inspector for 20 years". I understand that the appaloosa LP gene has been linked to non-progressive night blindness in horses, but it has nothing to do with the white sclera...in fact, I've seen some quarter horses with one or both white sclera with no other appaloosa traits or breeding. And they all had fine vision! There is no info out there that says that white sclera itself is linked to blindness! Otherwise, we'd be blind too, since we've got a white sclera, right? Okay, done venting! But I thought you might some insight about that...
ReplyDeleteWhat a pain in the butt! Horse people can be so difficult. :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if she's confusing white sclera with white skin around the eye. The appaloosas I've met that are blind or going blind had more pink than pigmented skin around the eyelids. But my observations aren't scientific or anything.
I agree with you - as far as I know white sclera has nothing to do with blindness. But again, I'm no expert by any means.
Soxy's sclera isn't as white as some I've seen and she has plenty of pigment around her eyelids. Her conjunctiva get irritated very easily but I don't know if that has anything to do with her being an appy. Cisco's eyes also get irritated more than the others and he has normal pigment.
I've known paints with funny white sclera too, and they're not known for blindness. But I have heard of people tatooing eyeliner on eyelids lacking pigment to protect the eyes from UV rays.
I agree - she's probably not the buyer you're looking for anyway. How frustrating.
LOL! That's essentially exactly what my husband said! Horse people - there are several varieties, and some can be very difficult! Part of me also wondered if she was trying to convince me that my horse was worthless so I might drop her price or something...who knows.
ReplyDelete