Endo, a 22-year-old blind Appaloosa horse, has made history by setting three Guinness World Records. Known affectionately as “Endo the Blind,” this remarkable horse achieved records for the highest free jump by a blind horse at 3 feet and 5.73 inches, the most flying changes by a blind horse in one minute with 39 changes, and the fastest time for a blind horse to weave five poles at 6.93 seconds.
Endo’s journey to these impressive achievements was marked by perseverance and dedication, according to his owner Morgan Wagner. Wagner first met Endo when she was just 13 years old. The horse was diagnosed with glaucoma, cataracts, and equine recurrent uveitis when he was 8 years old, and he became completely blind five years later.
To help Endo adjust to his blindness, Wagner had him wear a blindfold before he lost his sight entirely. “He was very scared in the beginning, so I took him for walks around the barn and then moved on to walks around the property,” Wagner told Guinness World Records. Over time, Endo the Blind Horse regained his confidence and resumed activities he once enjoyed, including competing and jumping.
Endo’s prior experience in competitions, where he became a national champion at the highest level, played a crucial role in his ability to relearn jumping despite his blindness. “They’re still capable of anything,” Wagner emphasized about blind horses. On the related note, got the scoop of the smallest horse in the world?
Equine recurrent uveitis, the leading cause of blindness in horses, disproportionately affects Appaloosas, making them eight times more likely to develop the condition compared to other breeds, according to the UC Davis Center for Equine Health. Despite this, Endo’s condition did not hinder his ability to excel and compete alongside sighted horses.
