FluffNStuff

A blind friend is looking for a new guide animal as her dog died last week. She is contemplating a guide horse for various reasons.

But her concern is hygiene-how would they smell when cooped up? And how would they potty-would you have to let them outside? In which case how would a blind person find their way around a poopy yard to find the poop to clean up......

showboat

I've never heard of a horse being a guide animal. I would have thought it would need to be a smaller animal as it should be in the house with the blind person, right? Not to mention when going out to stores and whatnot - what would she do with the horse? This doesn't seem very sensible to me.

kerrits

While I think its great your friend is willing to get back on the wagon there are far fewer guide horses in the country than guide dogs. The cost is of course also larger as they do need a barn outdoors, even if it could be smaller than for a regular sized horse or even a pony.

Guide horses have the same rights as guide dogs and can accompany you into stores, etc.

You can find more information about guidehorses here:
www.guidehorse.com

purplefdu

I believe that most people with service animals have help in cleaning up and grooming their animals. After all they are blind and sufficient or not they are still with needs. Most people with such problems have help that stops by once or more a week to assist them in general chores, shopping, etc.

As for smell, so long as the horse is washed like a guide dog is there shouldn't be any issue with smell as they would spend alot less time outside left to their own amusement than the average equine.

FluffNStuff

Thank you. I have seen horses who like to take showers, so I would think that it would be easy to keep them clean.

Part of the issue with guide horses is that they are still experimental, and they need people willing to test and trial this. She is young and mobile and willing to go through whatever it takes, to hopefully help others in future too. She's been accepted through early application and interview too, so it looks like it might happen.

purplefdu

The guidehorse foundation has been around for almost a decade which is hardly experimental I know they say they are still experimental but I think they're just being humble.

Based on the estimates that only about 10,000 people sue a guide dog I would imagine less than a thousand would even be interested in a guide horse, let alone be suitable to have one. I know the first guide horse is actually in my state and has had wonderful success in returning a normal life to his handler. He goes on planes, etc and is absolutely adorable in person. I just don't think they've completed training as many as they'd like as picking the perfect mini can't be easy. Guide dogs are bred from carefully selected stock and has been perfected over the years. I'm sure in another 20+ years they may be well on their way to similar.

showboat

That makes more sense. I don't know why all that came to mind was a big horse. Just don't think in terms of horses in the house, I guess. I had never heard of this before but the link given was very helpful and informative. Learn something new every day after all.

SaddleSore

Those estimates for guide dogs-is that just in the US, or worldwide? It seems rather low from my experiences with blind people-I never saw a single person back home who used a cane but no dog.

FluffNStuff

Well for whatever reason this particular organisation claims that it is experimental. I can only go on what I read-and that's what the site said. They are definitely more choosy than guide dog organisations are-perhaps because of the fact that there are a lot less than dogs?

eeyore

After some digging it would appear those statistics are for the US.

They also give the statistic that 1% of all minis are acceptable for usage in the program. Not sure if thats of those given to the program or in general. Minis are plagued with birth defects and other malformation problems in the US due to contamination with dwarfism genes so it would be wise to be extremely picky compared to dogs. Minis also don't have a uniform standard like AKC breeds do.

maro

I do like the idea of this but it would only work for those equiped to have room for large a large animal as well. I have one blind friend in WV who since living in the "boonies" doesnt go out nearly as much as he would like (around people) since he is so far from town. Something like this might be good for him though.

FluffNStuff

They wouldn't need any more room than for a Labrador actually (the typical guide dog). I really don't understand the use of horses though still, it seems a tad strange when dogs are so established.

purplefdu

There are plenty of large dog owners who would tell you the difference between a large dog and a min horse isn't so much. I know my two aren't much different than some of the minis I've worked with, and many people are afraid of dogs.

They don't need as much room as you might think, although probably a bit more yard than a dog who could be happy going to the park.