[nagdu] minature horses as guides

[larry d keeler]

I've seen them inside! I've even heard of them playing with toys! 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Pam via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 3:30 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Pam
Subject: Re: [nagdu] minature horses as guides

i was wondering the same thing too if they would have to live outside or
could they live indoors.

Sent from my iPhone

> On 21 Jun 2015, at 20:18, Valerie Gibson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> This is very interesting to me, and i have a couple questions and
comments.
> 
> First, I don't think the ADA recognizes guide horses.   Is this true?
> 
> Second, is it also true that guide horses must live outside rather than
indoors?
> 
> Again, very interesting topic.  Thanks for sharing your experience with
the guide horses.
>> On Jun 21, 2015, at 1:13 PM, Ann Edie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi, Pam,
>> 
>> I don't know which miniature horse guide and partner was shown in the 
>> program you saw, but I have worked with a mini horse guide for the 
>> past 11 years. I know of 3 or 4 other people who are long-term guide
horse partners.
>> Like everything else, there are advantages and disadvantages of using 
>> a miniature horse as a guide as compared with using a dog guide or a 
>> white cane. The major advantage of using a miniature horse guide is 
>> that the lifespan of a miniature horse averages at least twice the
lifespan of a dog.
>> Miniature horses live easily into their thirties and can work well 
>> into their twenties. The major disadvantages of the mini horse guide 
>> as compared with dogs is that they take up a little more space and 
>> that they need to be relieved more often than do dogs. I had 3 dog 
>> guides before I got my miniature horse guide, and in my experience, 
>> my miniature horse performs better and more consistently in her work 
>> than did any of my dog guides, even my very excellent first guide. My 
>> mini, Panda, started working when she was
>> 2 years old. She is now 14, and she just keeps getting better and 
>> better, more confident and intuitive. As you might imagine, we 
>> communicate by tiny movements and shifts and she seems to read my 
>> intentions even before I can consciously give her a cue. And I can 
>> look forward to many more years of joyous travels with her. We have 
>> had almost no difficulty with access to public places or transportation.
>> 
>> I don't think many people will be switching from guide dogs to 
>> miniature horse guides in the near future because more people are 
>> familiar with dogs than with horses and because there is (as far as I 
>> know) no active guide horse training program in operation at this 
>> time. All the miniature horse guide teams I am familiar with except 
>> the first have been owner-trained or privately trained.
>> 
>> There's lots of information on the web about miniature horse guides 
>> and miniature horses used as service animals for people with other
disabilities.
>> Information about my partner Panda can be found on the website of her 
>> trainer which is: www.theclickercenter.com
>> 
>> Best,
>> Ann
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Pam via 
>> nagdu
>> Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 2:04 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Pam
>> Subject: [nagdu] minature horses as guides
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> i was watching a program about ghide dogs the other day and there was 
>> a woman in the US who had a minature horse as a guide. just wondering 
>> what u all think of the idea? do u think it will catch on? personally 
>> i'd prefer a dog though :) Sent from my iPhone 
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