A long time ago when I was a kid, I read a little book about a colt born on a range that was blind, but survived and learned to do well by closely listening and using its other senses. I remember being skeptical: could a horse really live out in the wild like that, but there was a note at the back that the author had actually known of such a blind horse. That made the story stick in my memory.
This book continues that one, now the blind horse lives on a ranch. It’s been taught to ride by a kid, and there’s a dog devotedly attached to it, that carefully leads it around places. On the first few pages, horse thieves come in the night. When much later they realize the horse can’t see, they figure he’s worthless to sell, and set him loose. The dog had run after and snuck aboard the truck, so now he’s out there with the horse too. (Thieves couldn’t get rid of the dog though they tried). The rest of the story is about how this odd pair survives on the dry range while trying to make their way back home. Blocked by fences, and later by the threat of wildfire. Encountering coyotes, badgers, the dangers of broken fences and traps left for wolves. Once the horse gets stuck down in a wash after a rainstorm. The horse often runs into accidents because it can’t see obstacles, but can always find grazing whereas the dog is always near starving, being a poor hunter. He gets a little better near the end- catching hares and mice or finding bird eggs and a few carcasses (though they’re mostly so well-picked-over there’s nothing left to eat). On one occasion he steals meals from another ranch’s dogs. Eventually the two do make it home alive, to the amazement and joy of the rancher and the kid who had trained the blind horse.
Best part of the story was reading all the details how the horse could safely (for the most part) make its way about, and the particular care the dog took to watch out for it, and all the little natural things about the environment and wildlife. Sage grouse and pronghorns. Owls and prairie dogs. For such a little book it was quite interesting, especially the animal behavior.
Completed on 7/18/24.
2 Responses
The cover art is interesting! Almost like old Native American style.
I really wonder if a blind horse could survive in the wild, even with the author’s note. Maybe if the rest of the herd watched for predators so it ran when they did?
The book had a lot of tiny little sketchy illustrations in the same style on nearly every page. Gave it a nice character. I really do wonder. It told a lot how the horse could ascertain things about its surroundings from the type of terrain, the scent of damp or dry soil, the kind of foliage, etc that sounded very convincing but going by how many accidents it also had- sooner or later there would be one of those it would not survive, in my opinion.