Cuddles, the first of the guide minis and his blind daddy live up here in Maine. The fellow who owns him made sure he had an outside place, too, so he can be a real horse. He says that Cuddles is the most powerful chick magnet on earth. I mean, really, a fluffy little mini horse walking through the mall in his custom Nikes? Cmon. Admit it. You’d use George Clooney as TRACTION to get over to see this sight, now wouldn’t you?

And yes, minis can live into their 30’s, though their guide life would likely be a little shorter, but well into the 20’s, anyway.

Mia, oh my goodness! Guide puppies in training march up and down your city streets? How cute is that?

Great pic, I didn’t realize horsies (mini or otherwise) actually lie down to nap!!

Um, 2 points though…

1. If you’re allergic to dogs, wouldn’t you also be allergic to the adorably fuzzy horsies? An allergic friend swells up just in the vicinity of horses.

2. As for guide dogs not handling attention AND keep working, I’m not sure what kind of guide dogs you’ve ever seen. I live in Morristown NJ, HQ of The Seeing Eye (first guide dog org), and have seen them training in town for the past 40 years. The only time the dogs respond to attention is when the owner lets them, by dropping the handle – it’s their signal that they’re off-duty. Even the trainee dogs do not respond to distraction, which the trainers often ask passers-by to try to do.

Anyway, off my soapbox…I think it’d be cool to add horses to the admirable ranks of guide animals!

I wonder how they override the spooky/fearful/prey animal instinct. I mean, I adore my (full-size) horse, but if I were blind I wouldn’t trust him to guide me out of a paper bag…

I LOVE the armadillo bag, Arvay!

And as for attitude, it’s about all we got! Those with bad ones….well, that’s what THEY’VE got!

Hooray for your SO, he’s got it right!

And how big a stick do you have to have up your butt to scoff at the sneakers!

“they will make exhibitions of themselves with ridiculous‑looking guides wearing tennis shoes”

What would they prefer, that the horses harm their feet, and other people’s floors, so they can look more dignified? Anyway, sometimes a little silliness doesn’t hurt, and sometimes a little silliness is the point. My SO’s just had a rather alarming surgery in the course of his cancer treatments… and he jokes constantly about his Uniball. Dang, being blind must already be very difficult; why make it worse with a piss-poor attitude?

I carried an armadillo purse to my graduation after a hard-earned master’s degree:
http://www.wonderfullywacky.com/armadillo-handbag.htm

Yee and hah, baby!

Wow, you are right, Arvay.
There’s nothing wrong with pointing out limitations/problems, and letting the person needing the guide animal make the decision. But, to “screech” about “Losing independence” and “being in prison” because you choose a horse instead of a dog.
Well, geez, are blind people unable to weigh choices and make decisions?

Give people fair information. Most are intelligent enough to process said info and make their choices.

This Guide Dog organization seems to have its panties in a bundle about the guide ponies. They make some good points, but there is also a lot of screeching in there.

http://www.nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm01/bm0104/bm010404.htm

“In old country, we all had ponyes. My brother had ponye, my sister had ponye, I had ponye…and I luffed him!”

Sweet jeebus! I wanna tiny witto horsey to cuddle in bed!
http://www.guidehorse.com/images/DonTripSleep2.jpg