Willmar girl is her show horse's eyes

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Willmar girl is her show horse's eyes

Article by: JASMINE MAKI , Willmar West Central Tribune
Updated: August 5, 2012 - 7:55 PM

Is Vibes a special horse or is Mercedes Schueler a special girl? Whichever it is, together they are a special team.

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Mercedes Schueler removed braids from the mane of her horse, Positive Vibes, at her family’s farm in rural Willmar2. The 23-year-old show horse lost his sight in May, but Mercedes, 10, has never given up on him and functions as his eyes.

Photo: Ron Adams, Associated Press

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WILLMAR, MINN. - From a distance, the beautiful gray Arabian nuzzling his young owner looks just like any other horse -- and he is, except he's blind.

The 23-year-old show horse registered as Positive Vibes lost his sight in May, but his owner, Mercedes Schueler, 10, of Willmar, has not given up on him.

Steering and leading him with her body and voice, Schueler maintained Vibe's trust and quickly became his eyes. The pair has competed in eight shows together this summer.

"Every Friday night, we're grooming and cleaning, and Saturday morning we're on the road," said Kristine Schueler, Mercedes' mom.

With five horses, Mercedes and her siblings, Dylan, 16, and MaQuelah, 14, have been riding and showing horses for as long as they can remember.

Mercedes started showing horses for 4-H when she was 5, but it wasn't until last year that she found Vibes.

When Mercedes first rode Vibes, he was blind in his left eye due to an unknown injury that occurred about 10 years ago.

Mercedes rode Vibes several times before showing him at the Kandiyohi County Fair and making the final decision to keep him. At that point, there was no doubt he was coming home with the family, Kristine said.

Mercedes rode and showed Vibes for the rest of the summer with a red rose marking his blind eye. He would tilt his head to the side and ride further from the rail when he turned left, but he could see and make his way around.

But during the winter, Vibes began losing vision in his right eye. He would run into the wall and get lost in the barn, Kristine said. "It was getting worse all winter."

Steven Rumsey, owner of South 71 Veterinarian Clinic in Willmar, discovered a cataract in Vibes' right eye in May.

The Schuelers were presented with a couple of options: Put Vibes down or take him in for surgery, which they could not afford.

Rumsey said it's uncommon for horses to go completely blind, but when they do, they are usually put down.

The Schuelers weren't ready to let Vibes go, so they learned to adapt.

One of the family's other horses, Breeze, became Vibes' pasture buddy. Breeze started taking care of Vibes and leading him around the pasture, Kristine said.

Mercedes learned patience steering Vibes, so he wouldn't run into walls. "It's OK, buddy. It's OK," Mercedes says, reassuring him as she leads him down the path. She started talking to him more and giving commands to lead him through the trails.

"It takes a good temperament from the horse to make it work," Rumsey said. "And, of course, owners that are willing to work with it."

Vibes' calm personality shows as he softly nuzzles his head against Mercedes when she brushes him. He remains calm as she mounts him with the help of her mom.

"It's a very neat relationship they have," Kristine said.