Orion is our wonderful, loved horse, a flea-bitten gray registered OTTB (off-the-track-thoroughbred) born on May 21, 1998, in Florida with the registered name Call Me Home. He had a racing career that spanned 51 starts until he was 8 years old, with only one win, five places, and four shows. Unfortunately, after his racing days ended, he found himself at the Days End Farm Horse Rescue in 2006. At that time, he was found abandoned in a field suffering from emaciation, parasites, and rain rot that covered his entire body.
But fate had other plans for Orion. In 2010, he was adopted by us and became an important member of our family. Our daughter, Rachel, fell in love with Orion and spent her days riding him, jumping, and trail riding with friends. He was her first horse, and they developed an unbreakable bond.
However, it was soon discovered that Orion had Uveitis in his right eye, and he eventually became blind in that eye. He still enjoyed jumping and trail riding, and most people had no idea he was blind in his right eye.
After several years with no pain in his right eye, he developed an ulcer and other issues in 2022. To relieve his pain, the eye had to be removed. We were all worried about how he would adjust to losing his eye, but he surprised us with how quickly he adapted.
Sadly, the spring of 2023 brought more challenges. Orion's left eye developed an ulcer and uveitis, and despite quick action from the vet, he became totally blind overnight most likely to a detached retina as a complication of his uveitis. He is now on medication for life to avoid inflammation and pain in that eye and hopefully avoid further surgery.
Orion is not just full of life and love; he's also a bit of a goofball. He loves to do silly things that make us laugh, like playing with “toys” that make funny noises. One day, there was a mylar balloon on the farm, and Rachel brought it into the barn to dispose of it since many horses might be spooked by it. But not Orion - he was fascinated by the balloon and wanted to play with it. He put his mouth on it and sucked in and out to make a funny noise, which made us all burst out laughing. Another example of how Orion loves is making noise is whenever he's in the cross ties, he loves to shake his head, making the chains jingle. It's as if he knows that it makes us laugh, and he loves the attention.
Despite his playful antics, Orion is also a kind and gentle soul. He has a way of making us feel better when we're feeling down. We feel so lucky to have such a fun-loving horse in our lives, and we cherish every moment we spend with him.
Orion may have lost his sight, but he never lost his spirit. He adjusted to his blindness with grace and dignity, and he still loves spending his days with his pasture mate, being pampered and loved by our family. He may be retired, but he will always be an important part of our lives, and we will continue to cherish the memories we have shared with him. We feel incredibly lucky to have him as a part of our family.