Given A Second Chance To See
- Chestnut Feral Gelding
- Entry Date – Spring of 1999 at 2 weeks of age
- Type of rescue – Abandoned by his herd
- Reason – Blind and caught in brush
- Special needs – None
The General was just two weeks old when a rancher found him abandoned by his herd. Tangled in brush and blind from bilateral cataracts, there was no way he could keep up with the other horses. The rancher brought the young foal to Equamore. The Foundation paid for the eye surgery he needed through private donations and a generous reduction in the cost from the Davis Veterinary School at the University of California. The vet school restored the foal’s sight by vacuuming out the cataracts. However, his vision was equivalent to looking underwater since he had no lenses. Because of the University’s help, we named him “General U C Davis.”
Over the years, his sight deteriorated, and he began losing what sight he did have. With continuing eye issues causing pain and inflammation that were not treatable, the Sanctuary’s veterinarian removed his eyes so he could be free of pain. In a noticeably brief period, he adjusted to the loss of what little vision he had remaining and was in high spirits playing again with the ponies!
He is a good and loyal guardian of his pony and mini friends. From being blind to being imperfectly sighted for nearly twenty years, to being blind again, the General was amazing at adapting to all the challenges he faced.
