Blind Appaloosa horse uses ‘equine braille’ to compete for dressage title

Despite losing sight in both eyes, a 15-year-old Appaloosa named Milo is still chasing a dressage championship. The gelding has returned to the show ring using an extraordinary form of equine “braille” — relying on rider cues, hearing, and touch to navigate.

The 16-hand horse has continued to impress spectators since coming back to competition last year. Owner Megan Share, 28, said Milo hasn’t let blindness stop him from aiming to be a world-class dressage competitor.

Share has owned Milo since he was three years old. They grew up together and spent years competing from their home in England before Milo went blind at age 13, despite multiple operations to save his vision.

Today, the pair from Debdale Riding School in rural Worcestershire are working toward returning to the elite dressage ring to compete against sighted horses.

Share explained how their communication works. “He interprets my pressure on him, but he also uses his own pressure — hooves on the ground surface — for his spatial awareness. He’s using touch… like a braille technique.”His other senses have become sharper too. “He’s also a lot more alert, and he reacts quicker, as his sense of hearing is elevated as a result of him losing his sight,” she said.“I became his eyes. We have a really good brother-sister relationship, and we developed a way to make it work,” Share added. “I do use a lot of leg and hand aids to keep him in line, and he trusts me.”Competing with a blind horse is more demanding, she said. “I have to be more alert than I am on a sighted horse because he needs constant instructions… I’ve got to be on the ball with my surroundings — with instincts on alert — so it’s quite draining.”Milo was already a natural at dressage before losing his sight. The sport, often called “ballet on horseback,” requires precise and controlled movements.

“We’ve been competing with him since he was four and he’s always been in the ribbons,” Share said. “He won the Royal Windsor Horse Show for the eighth year in a row — including last year while blind. We’ve got quite a lot of sashes for first place.”The pair used to do up to 12 shows a year. After Milo went completely blind, Share didn’t ride him for more than a year until they both felt ready.

Experts say it is rare to see a blind horse competing at this level, and people are often shocked it’s possible. “I’m extremely proud of him,” Share said.Milo is due to compete next at an Appaloosa show and the Denbigh and Flint Show in August. After that, the pair will aim for qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show and the London International.