by Patricia A. Coldiron

Created on: April 08, 2010

Founded in 1999, the Guide Horse Foundation conducted an experimental program to determine the abilities of miniature horses as assistance animals for the blind. These horses are popular with people who have tried them, and they usually are not distracted by people or crowds.

Since miniature horses vary so widely in size, it is not practical to try to breed them. Miniature horses are donated to the Guide Horse Foundation by individuals and large breeding farms. To participate in the Guide Horse program, a miniature horse must be exceptionally small, in good physical health, and possess above average intelligence. Less than 1% of miniature horses meet the qualifications of the Guide Horse program.

Although a guide horse doesn’t work for everyone, some blind people who are afraid of dogs and want an assistance animal with a longer lifespan are happy with a guide horse. Guide horses prefer to be outdoors when they’re not on duty, so if you like a clean house, you’ll like having a guide horse that lives outside.

The Guide Horse Foundation has discovered many reasons why a guide horse is preferred as an assistance animal. Some people who use a guide dog may have trouble gaining access to public places, because their guide dog is considered a pet. Since most people do not think of a horse as a pet, they recognize a guide horse as a working service animal.

Miniature horses have a lifespan of over 50 years, with the average lifespan between 30 to 40 years. A guide dog has a productive life of between 8 to 12 years.

A trained horse can remain calm in stressful situations. Calvary horses have proven that even in the heat of battle, they can remain calm. A trained police horse is a good example of a horse that has to deal with stressful situations.

A guide horse has excellent vision, and with eyes on the sides of their heads, they have a vision range of nearly 350 degrees. Not only can a guide horse track potential danger with each eye, but he can also see clearly when it’s almost totally dark.

 Training

If you’re going to train any guide animal, you’ll need to possess years of full-time training experience. Since blind people trust these horses with their lives, you should only attempt guide training if you’ve had at least ten years of full-time riding and horse training experience.

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