Being ambitious since birth, Blind Ambition, otherwise known as Bee, is back in Agua Dulce after undergoing surgery at the University of California, Davis.
Born with thick cataracts covering both of her eyes, Bee, who was diagnosed at 2 days old and is now 5 months old, has been back home for about three weeks.
Joy Weber, owner of Weber Training Stables, has been by Bee’s side since her diagnosis.
“She just went to her first checkup. Everything went really well — better than they expected. She was on her own, and she has to return in one month. In the interim, we just have to keep medicating her eyes twice a day, and keep a mask on her, but she turned out relatively normal other than that,” Weber said.
Luckily for Weber, she does not have to trek up to Davis for every checkup, but can instead go to an ophthalmologist in Somis.
“The ophthalmologist keeps in contact with Davis and reports back and forth to them. Davis was very generous, too, and actually gave us a $2,000 credit, because we were struggling with funds. They were helpful in that aspect. I think we raised maybe 75% of the initial care, like medications,” Weber said.
While Weber was $5,000 short of her original GoFundMe goal for Bee’s surgery and care, she now has additional costs to maintain.
“Right now she’s going onto an ointment, which changes from $20 a bottle to $75. It’s pretty expensive. She’s really only on one medication right now, and then every time we have an appointment, we have to pay the hospital ophthalmologist to get there. It’s still cheaper than taking her back and forth to Davis,” Weber said.
Bee is learning to navigate the world around her with an innate sense of confidence, even as she has recently been weaned off from her mother, Ivory. Weber has seen tremendous growth in Bee, especially after the month and a half of recovery she endured while in Davis.
“It’s exciting seeing her progress. The cool thing is I’ve watched her stand out and look or stare at things because her world is not just limited to darkness, and she can now physically take it all in,” Weber said. “Interestingly enough, her mom is very shy and insecure. Bee takes the lead and Ivory follows her, because she’s so introverted.”
As a breeder for nearly 40 years, this is Weber’s first time experiencing a blind foal. She urges breeders to take full responsibility if they ever encounter a rare occurrence like this, as well.
“You need to be responsible. It’s not just about making money, it’s about moving forward and benefiting the breed,” Weber said. “You need to be responsible for what you bring into this work so that they can survive and live a happy life.”
To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/sightsaving-surgery-for-joys-newborn-foal.
