High Desert ‘Smoke’ and rider may have set Guinness World Record for a blind horse

A blind horse with a “heart of gold and soul on fire” might have earned itself and its High Desert owner a spot on the list of Guinness World Records.

Yermo’s Britney Swenson and her sightless equine companion “Smoke,” unofficially set a new record for “The fastest time on a blind horse to weave five poles,” she said.

On the third and final legally allowed attempt, Swenson and the 26-year-old Smoke weaved the poles in 6.501 seconds, besting the world record of 6.93 seconds, she said.

The owner of Pegasus Training Stables, Swenson said Guinness officials will review her documented ride before “they hopefully” declare a new world record set by the duo on Nov. 19 at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds and Event Center in Ridgecrest.

“It should take the folks at Guinness about 12 weeks to let us know if we set the new record,” Swenson, 37, told the Daily Press. “Until then, Smoke and I will keep riding, training and going on new adventures.”

A skittish, fearful horse

The path to the Guinness attempt was a tough one, with many challenges, including Smoke living in an abusive environment and losing both eyes to cancer, Swenson said.

Smoke was a skittish and fearful paint horse, who suffered years of abuse and neglect from a previous owner,” said Swenson, who moved from Idaho to the High Desert about six years ago.

“A couple from Newberry Springs gave Smoke a new home and the wife, who was a retired school teacher and great lady, took care of him for 17 years,” Swenson said. “She rode him on her property and took great care of him.”

In 2019, the woman died and her husband decided to sell his horses. But when it came to Smoke, he was not sure if anyone wanted him.

Saving Smoke

Every time Swenson visited Smoke, she felt more attached to him. In her heart, she knew that she loved Smoke and that he had some great years left in him, she said.

Knowing that the one-eyed Smoke may fall into the wrong hands, Swenson agreed to give him a good home, to train him and tap into his potential.

“When I first met Smoke, he was so scared that he took off like a bat out of hell,” Swenson said. “But something magical happened when he got around my other horses, including my main horse Jake, who I stalled together in case Smoke went totally blind.”

As Smoke and Jake bonded, his trust in Swenson grew to the point where the two rode as one, with horse and rider seeming to know each other's thoughts.

“It took about a month before he’d let me ride and train him,” Swenson said. “After that, we started bonding and I could feel his trust in me increase as well as his confidence.”

After months of riding trails, Swenson took Smoke to a Gymkhana event where he was unfazed by the noise of tractors and the presence of other horses, she said.

‘Tears of joy’

“Smoke performed like a champion and we won our division,” said Swenson, as she held back tears. “It was a huge accomplishment for this old boy to win the high point trophy.”

After the competition, Swenson called the previous owner’s husband with news of Smoke’s accomplishments.

“You know, he started crying tears of joy,” Swenson said. “He thought nobody was ever going to take an old horse with one eye. He also told me that before I came along, he had dug a hole on his property with the intention of putting Smoke down."

Cancer returns

After the cancer returned, this time affecting Smoke’s right eye, a veterinarian tried several treatments that were all unsuccessful.

“The cancer returned and on Nov. 17, 2022, Smoke’s second eye was removed,” Swenson said. “Smoke is a paint horse with a bald face, which means his face is totally white and it covers his blue eyes. These horses are often susceptible to cancer of the eyes.”

Ocular squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer to affect the eyes and eyelids of horses, and the second most common cause of cancer in horses overall, according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Horses that lack pigment in the skin surrounding their eyes are at greater risk of developing cancer on their eyelids than horses with pigment around their eyes.

Swenson said “faithful Jake” was in the operating room when Smoke underwent his surgery.

Back on the trail 

After a month of healing, Smoke was allowed to begin normal activities, which began with learning to balance and maneuver, Swenson said.

“Once we started training, it was like we worked as one as he trusted me to guide him,” Swenson said. “I was amazed at how quickly Smoke adapted to being blind.”

As Swenson moved toward breaking the Guinness record, several challenges stood in the way, including scheduling changes, injuries, event cancellations and difficulty finding a traveling veterinarian to be on-site during the record attempt.

“The vet I found was someone who wanted to return the favor after I gave her a free riding lesson,” said Swenson, who moved from Idaho to the Barstow area about six years ago and who manages Lil's Saloon at Calico Ghost Town.

The record attempt

Swenson, a trailered Smoke and their support crew also battled dangerously heavy winds as they traveled to the fairgrounds in Ridgecrest, she said.

After a warm-up session, practice runs, a few mishaps, and two failed record-setting attempts, a discouraged Swenson walked and watered Smoke while thinking that her “big dream failed.”

“I’m an emotional person and my mind was swirling with all kinds of thoughts, including all that we’ve been through,” Swenson said. “It all came down to this last ride.”

As Swenson mounted Smoke, she focused on their friendship, their trust for one another and the forces that brought them together.

“I let Smoke set the pace and he ran as fast as his old legs could go,” Swenson said. “I didn't ride him hard or push him, but he ran like the wind knowing that we had a record to break.”

Looking back, Swenson said it was a “true privilege to partner” with Smoke in life and during the duo’s Guinness record attempt.

“Record or not, Smoke is a true champion and we beat all odds together,” Swenson said.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Horse and rider may have set Guinness World Record for a blind horse