In Canada, Endo arrived to a huge pasture of his own, and Morgan learned more of his abilities. In the beginning of their travels, Morgan would guide him around the walls of his new stalls, showing him his surrounding before un-haltering him. This time, Morgan undid his halter and stood back to see what he would do. This pasture was far too big to show him around. He walked around eating grass with no fear, walked around the trees and walked along the fence line. He could sense his surroundings without touching them. Morgan had always thought Endo used memory at home to sense his surroundings, but this proved it was something more extraordinary and invisible to us. He even chose the same tree to sleep under each night. Endo loved the theater work. He even learned to follow his cue when the stage helper said “Morgan go” and would throw a little fit when held back. There, he also learned applause meant he did his job well, and he would often offer some unexpected crowd-pleasing flare when he got excited over the clapping.
In the past year, Morgan and Endo have been on adventures all over the country competing, performing and just having fun galloping around new terrain, riding with just a neck strap. Every challenge presented has been an opportunity to showcase Endo’s heart to overcome and conquer challenges placed in front of him. His journey has quite literally shown the world that a blind horse has options beyond euthanasia or being retired as a pasture pet. It’s not just Endo’s ability to overcome his disability but it’s a testament to Morgan’s heart and devotion to her beloved equine. Endo’s story has inspired thousands. On a recent trip from Oregon to Kentucky, where Endo was one of the featured performers at the 2016 BreyerFest, Endo’s Facebook fans accelerated beyond the 50,000 mark, a number that continues to grow as people share his story world wide.
This popularity, and Endo’s inspirational story of love and achievement, has also helped bring him to the attention of some corporate sponsors as well as private donors. Waller Farms, of Beaumont, Texas, made the trip to Kentucky possible with their sponsorship, and La Victoria Performance provides him with equine supplements. Their Go Fund Me campaign helps offset travel expenses and competition costs. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all those who have helped us along the way,” explains Endo’s owner Morgan Wagner. “It’s wonderful how many people have contributed to Endo’s success.”
Endo the Blind and Morgan are now training in preparation for competing in the open breed Working Equitation division at both the IALHA Nationals in Utah and the Andalusian World Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada, both of which will take place in September.
You can find videos and follow them online by searching for “Endo the Blind”. Endo the Blind has his own Facebook page with over 50k followers, and Morgan is working on developing a website for him as well (stay tuned!).