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 Kelly
Cronin: Will somebody else look where I’m going?
My
name is Kelly Cronin. I’m 19, an AQHA UK member and currently just finishing my
A-levels, having taken a year out due to a neck injury. My subjects
are Biology, English Literature and Psychology. I hope to go to York
University in October
to take a degree in English. I was born registered blind with a
condition called Lebersamaurosis. Medically speaking, I have five to
ten percent vision. What this means is that I see basic outlines,
colours, facial features etc, but couldn’t see anything as defined
as eye colour, or which horse was which across a field. I use
Braille, but am able to read very large print, for example text
messages. I have never allowed anything to stop me from living a
full and active life, and believe that there is always a way to do
something, even if it’s a little off the beaten track. I also feel
that my poor sight has enhanced my other senses. I am a great
believer in “energy”, the vibes that every living thing gives
off, hence my belief that you don’t have to see to have a horse. I
know if they’re going to throw a buck, or if they’re not
focussing on the job in hand, long before other people can see the
visual signs.
I have
ridden horses since I was four, and started learning Western in 2005.
It seemed a good move for me, as there were many disciplines I could
take part in, whereas such English activities as jumping were proving
difficult, due to the need for perceptual vision. I also love the
whole approach to Western mixed in with Natural Horsemanship, and
given that I feel much more acutely, I found the style enabled me to
connect more with my horse.
I
bought my 4 year old American Quarter Horse filly Bri at the end of March this year. In 2007 I qualified with
my Guide Dog, Holly, and my instructor Megan, and myself, decided
that if a dog could be a person’s eyes, why couldn’t a horse. I
am perfectly capable as a rider, I just need a little help judging
distance and so on. Therefore we decided that we would start a young
horse, so that my way of handling would be the normal way it
perceived its job. An example of what we will require Bri to do is
that if we are side-passing along a pole, and I am six inches out
when setting her up on the end of the pole, she will make the slight
adjustment herself, without taking advantage and wandering off. So
far, she has proved promising, learning quickly and enjoying
exploring the challenges we set her. She is currently being broken
in by myself and Megan, and we look forward to watching her progress.
Our main aim is to compete in trail, where we will teach Bri command
words for each obstacle, so that I can eventually say, “box”, and
she will know which obstacle to locate. The training sounds complex,
and certainly will be challenging, but we are really excited about
it, and Bri seems very well suited to the job with a very sensitive
and active brain. Eventually I hope to progress to Horsemanship,
Western Riding and Reining, but Trail is our primary goal at the
moment. A young horse is the perfect blank canvas. We look forward
to appearing at shows and other events over the Winter and next year.
I
have never felt any different to anybody else, and have never seen
poor sight as a disability. In fact in some ways I am lucky, because
I am able to connect with my horses in a way that many people have to
learn. To me it comes naturally, and the horses seem to respond to
it. I may receive a few bumps from time to time, but doesn’t
everybody in one way or another? I just have to remember to look
where I’m going, or train a dog and horse to do it for me!
Make sure you keep up to date with Kelly and Bri's progress by logging in to the members only area of the website where we will be updating a "Kelly's Eyes" Blog
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