[bksvol-discuss] Re: OT: Re: guide horses
- From: Cindy Rosenthal <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 18:28:46 -0800 (PST)
Very interesting, Justy. Thanks for posting.
Cindy
--- "Judy s." <cherryjam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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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