'The Horse Lends Me His Eyes': How This Rider Soars Without Sight

Riding horses was a lifelong dream for Wren Blae Zimmerman. Unfortunately, her family didn’t have the finances when she was growing up to let her ride. Her parents were focused on academics, and they’ve always wanted Wren to find something reliable that would allow her to make a good living and be secure. As a senior in high school, she was on track for college and business school, with plans to go into the corporate world. Horses were a fantasy, and theoretical equestrian jobs weren’t on the radar.

Then, at 17, Wren started losing her vision. No combination of lens could get her back to seeing the 20/20 line. By the end of the year, Wren had a diagnosis: Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy. She learned that she would eventually be legally blind.

“Once I finished college, after having lost more of my vision, I decided it was time to finally try something I’ve always wanted to do. I’d had the opportunity to try therapeutic riding, and I loved being around horses. But, what I really wanted to do was jump.”

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Article written by: Cheryl Witty-Castillo