If you’ve followed the blog for the past year, you probably remember our little blind foal — now a yearling — named Brynn. She’s the one with more medical strikes against her than any animal on the ranch. In addition to being blind, she has a hole in her heart, she only has one functioning kidney, she has a urinary system that causes her to dribble urine (two surgeries to fix this failed), and her neck is so short from malformed vertebrae she can’t reach the ground to graze.
Well, she actually has figured out how to graze … it’s her own unique method. That’s what you see her doing in the photo above. She does this graceful bow, pulls her left front leg back and tucks it under, then stretches out her right front leg for balance, lowers her head, and starts munching.
We don’t let her do this very often, or for very long, because we worry about the impact on her joints long-term. Yet she’s still small, agile and surprisingly athletic for a girl with her "issues," so occasional time on pasture with her buddy Darby is okay. This does show you how she has learned to cope with her disabilities, though, and it’s consistent with her overall zest for life. Despite all her medical problems, she is a very happy little filly. She has already far surpassed anyone’s expectations on her lifespan. It’s a real testament to her will to survive all the obstacles nature has created for her.
So if she has to perform the equivalent of an equine curtsy to do some grazing, she’s ready to do it!
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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