'Doc', Reg name - Carriage Hill First

(O-At-Ka Don Moro x Lady Brandywine)

A very special Morgan gelding is responsible for the initial success of our lesson program. Carriage Hill First, AKA Doc, has taught hundreds of kids & adults to ride. He has been the most dependable, patient, kind & forgiving horse I have ever known. His success & willingness in the show ring, carrying nervous little kids to their first walk/trot ribbons has made him even more of a blessing to us. In October of 1998, at the age of 16, our beloved Doc had his first occurrence of Equine Recurring Uveitis in his left eye. Since then we have learned more about this terrible affliction than we would ever want to know. The ERU episodes were often & severe & in less than 2 years, he had completely lost sight in his left eye. He began showing symptoms of ERU in his right eye in late 2000 & as of Aug 2002, has already lost his sight completely due to an inoperable cataract in the right eye. The adjustment to his blindness has been a lesson in patience. The first couple of weeks were very difficult for him & for us. He was very fearful & he felt safest in his stall. His hay, grain & water bucket were always in the same place. It broke our hearts to see him tremble at the everyday sounds that were now scary to him. He was particularly afraid whenever the tractor was running near the barn. It was almost as if he wanted to run from it but was afraid to move. We sadly discussed his options, knowing that he could not live like that, to live with that kind of fear is no life at all. It was indescribably devastating to know that we may have had to make the decision to put him down. The turning point came when we decided to stop babying him & feeling sorry for him. He does not want our pity. We began turning him out in a small paddock with his pony buddy. He was much happier once he adapted to being outdoors again (he had always 'lived out' with us), although he did occasionally bump into the fence, which at first was startling for him but is no longer a big deal. He couldn't find his automatic waterer so we took water out to him every 2 hours. It was an arrangement we were happy to accommodate. Several weeks into his new life, my husband was home for lunch one day & he called me to the window to see Doc, drinking from the waterer on his own. How truly hopeful we are now for his chance to have a life worth living. We are devoted to him & his comfort & we will always do what is best for him. We have been so blessed to have him part of our family. For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7) *footnote: Looking back on the past I have known horses who I now believe had ERU that had gone undiagnosed & untreated. My heart aches for them now knowing how devastating & painful this disease can be.

Alan & Deborah Heck of Lapeer,MI.

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