68 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
a pasture without trees for the rest of his life or put him down.
Jeanette choose neither and her life was forever changed. “When
I was told Valiant was permanently blind, I really couldn’t process
that intellectually. It was so emotional and it was so shocking
to my system to know that this beautiful, wonderful, incredible,
gorgeous animal wouldn’t ever be able to see again.”
Her fancé, Gary Fellers, took her back to Valiant’s stall to
refect on the situation and, after hugging Valiant, Gary said, “He
isn’t lame is he?” That was the right question that led to the right
answer. They decided they would fnd a way to take care of him,
give him a good quality of life and teach him how to live without
his sight. It was then that Jeanette’s life began to change and she
began to see life differently.
When the veterinarians asked Jeanette what she was going to
do, she said she was going to help him overcome the infection
and train him to the highest level of dressage possible. “I had no
idea what I had said because I didn’t have a clue how to train a
blind horse, but I knew a little about dressage and in the moment I
was quite defensive about even thinking or saying ‘putting Valiant
down’ but it was something that just came out of my mouth and
felt right at the time,” she said. “When someone says something
is impossible, how would they know if they haven’t ever tried it?”
Refecting on what happened she said, “You have to believe
things are there for a reason and they’re there for a learning
experience and opportunity,” she said. “We need to frst of all
believe in ourselves, which sometimes takes a lot of courage but
when you take that frst step it is so rewarding. We can take on a
challenge and we can do it.”
Jeanette believed and pressed on. “This was the beginning of
an experience of understanding horses in a whole different way
for me. In order to communicate with Valiant, I had to understand
Valiant listening.
Photo by Marilyn Fallon
Valiant’s frst pirouette.
Photo by Jeanette Sassoon
him and all his natural tendencies including his fears, needs,
comforts and idiosyncrasies. Becoming quiet within myself and
watching his body language was the key.”
Throughout Valiant’s training, Jeanette had to become aware
of Valiant’s space and senses and, most importantly, she had
to emphasize safety at all times. Because horses are fight
animals their natural instinct is to run which can create dangerous
situations quickly.
She began his training by utilizing voice and touch to set the
foundation for their communication. Jeanette says utilizing high
and low pitch helped Valiant navigate his approach to different
situations and objects. Next, she focused on the halt cue to keep
Valiant from dangerous situations whether he was on a lead or
not. Next, she focused her attention on the backing cue and once
that was mastered she moved onto forward. Learning to walk and
trot came after he learned the basics and then she was slowly
able to introduce lunging. She also taught him stay by putting a
full fat hand on his face and rewarding him when he stayed and
she taught him come after he understood the stay cue. It was
important to reward him every time he did something right and
avoid punishment in order to make learning a positive experience.
She spent time learning to perceive the world as he did. She
also employed the help of John Lyons, a horseman known for
his ability to communicate with horses. “I was blessed to have
ever met John,” she said. “He has changed the way I approach
and understand our four-leggeds, which in turn has helped me
understand life a whole lot better.”
She added, “John has a special way of taking our communication
and interaction with our horses and relating that to our
They decided they would find a way to
take care of him, give him a good
quality of life and teach him how to live
without his sight.
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