[bksvol-discuss] OT: Re: guide horses

  • From: "Judy s." <cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:46:20 -0600

I think the experiments to use miniature horses as guides are interesting, too. You can keep a miniature horse anywhere you can keep a large dog, by the way. smile. Horses actually have many characteristics that make them potentially good guide animals. As they are prey animals instead of predators, they are constantly looking for trouble naturally, and have a much wider field of vision than dogs and can actually see things that are coming up behind them (except directly behind their tail). Training can shape that innate quality so that the the horse looks for trouble spots that impact the handler/owner, and avoids them. They are naturally much more aware, for example, of overhead obstacles than are dogs, as horses have always had predators like cougars that drop down onto them. They can be housebroken, too. A miniature horse has a useful working life of twenty years or more years, which is another reason some advocates are promoting them for use as guide animals. Size-wise, a miniature horse is really small, as they are under 32 inches tall at the withers (the point where the top of the neck attaches into the back). So a big miniature horse is a tad larger than a big golden retriever.


Horses can be trained to stand underneath hovering helicopters, walk into elevators and even love to climb stairs. I've taught several full sized horses to walk up flights of stairs, and they all love it once they understand what you're asking them to do. smile.

One more little aside... my favorite mare's last foal is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, and was specially trained as a search and rescue horse. These horses are trained to work as part of a team with their rider, in areas of the National Parks and Forests that aren't accessible by motorized vehicles, to hunt for missing and injured people. The Forest Service has trained horses for this for decades, and even had a breeding ranch where they specially bred Morgan horses for the job. The horse is an active team member, just the same way search and rescue dogs are with their handlers. I think that's pretty neat! grin

Judy s.

Cindy Rosenthal wrote:
Interesting. I remember that we had a discussion here
a long time ago about guide horses. I found the
advantages of them over guide dogs to be interesting.
SOme people to whom I mentioned them thought one would
have to live in the country, and I'd never actually
seen a picture--but then, I haven't read the book.
smile

Cindy

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