Photos: Guide Horses

guidehorse ^

[JoeProBono]

Guide Horses have shown great promise as a mobility option, and people who have tried Guide Horses report that the Guide Horses perform exceptionally well at keeping their person safe. These friendly horses provide an experimental alternative mobility option for blind people. People who have tried Guide Horses report that the horses demonstrate excellent judgment and are not easily distracted by crowds and people.

[JoeProBono]

"There are many compelling reasons to use miniature horses as guide animals. Horses are natural guide animals and have been guiding humans for centuries. In nature, horses have been shown to possess a natural guide instinct. When another horse goes blind in a herd, a sighted horse accepts responsibility for the welfare of the blind horse and guides it with the herd. With humans, many blind people ride horses in equestrian competitions. Some blind people ride alone on trails for many miles, completely relying on the horse to guide them safely to their destination. Through history, Cavalry horses have been known to guide their injured rider to safety. The Guide Horse Foundation finds several characteristics of horses that make them suitable to guide the blind"

[SolidWood]

My head exploded at this much cuteness!

[nmh]

“My head exploded at this much cuteness!”

Same here!

They look like stuffed animals.

They are adorable!

[BOATSNM8]

I can’t wait for the comments to roll in:)

[nmh]

I’d bet these guide horses are smarter than Obama voters!

[nuconvert]

I like his sneakers
:~ D

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[Jemian]

ping for extraordinary cuteness

[Dysart]

What’s the monthly billing allowable on those puppies?

[Radagast the Fool]

What a great idea! I know the little mini-horses are often used in hospitals as therapy animals to provide comfort to sick people, so why not use them as guides also??

And I also agree the cuteness factor is undeniable!!!

[BOATSNM8]

Too cute. Can you potty train a horse?

[Mercat]

OK, I’ll be the first to ask - can they be potty trained? In my experience with horses which is somewhat limited, they have no concern about pooping at any time and just let it fall. Dogs on the other hand seem to have a sense of shame about it. I’ve only seen one dog poop during a dog show and she was sick. Horses however, poop at horse shows all the time.

[yorkie]

They also have dress shoes and cowboy boots for Guide horses:

Shoes and boots for Guide horses

[jwparkerjr]

I occasionally do the photos with the Clydesdale horses at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Talk about a pile! We always have one horse that’s on display that people can touch and pet and pose with for pictures up close. When he poops we send someone back to the tack area to tell one of the workers there, “Clean up on aisle 8.” We also have a code for when the horse on display is showing his manhood. The handler simply uses a spray bottle of water and squirts it a couple of times.

Ah yes, life of the photographer in the theme park!

[LiberConservative]

“I’ll have the ham and eggs special, coffe, and an apple.”

[JoeProBono]

“All Guide Horses regularly work indoors, leading their handler to restaurants, shopping malls and offices. When they are off-duty, Guide Horses greatly prefer to stay outdoors. All Guide Horses have a small outdoor barn and corral to relax , graze and play. In the summer, they get a thin coat that allows them to be comfortable in hot and humid areas. In the winder, they get a wooly coat that keeps them warm, even in sub-zero temperatures.”

[JoeProBono]

[yazoo]

Yeah, but think of the expense of changing all the post office signs to “no horses allowed, except seeing eye horses.”

[potlatch]

Ping, you’ve got to see this!

They are darling. I never heard of guide horses before!