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Why Miniature Horses should NOT be used as Guide Animals for the Blind. In
fact, they are a DANGEROUS alternative to a Guide Dog. Article
#1
Written
by a woman who is Vision Impaired/legally blind, who breeds and shows Miniature Horses,
and is a Guide Dog user.
This
article has been printed here with permission by the author,
Lyn Jacobs.
Esther and Hershee
both have beautiful soft brown eyes. They are both very intelligent animals. They have
both been trained for specific jobs that they love. One is a Dog the other is a horse.
They both work for me and that's where the similarity ends. You see, Esther is a Guide
Dog, trained for me and with me, at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown,
NY and Hershee is a Miniature Horse who has been trained to drive, do obstacle,
showmanship and take me to Championships against sighted people.
I
trust Hershee implicitly to negotiate obstacles both in hand and in a cart with precision
and perfection. He has taken me to a National Championship in Pleasure Driving and my
visual field is less than 20 degrees and greater than 20/450 in both eyes. I basically see
shapes when there is great contrast available. That said if you ask me if I would trust
this beloved friend to take me safely to the beauty shop a mile from my home, no I
would not, because I know that when the black lab down the street comes running out at him
he is going to spook. Could I drive him in a parade with bands and noise and people
grabbing at him? Absolutely. But if he fears for his life he is going to run. Can he
access public transportation like the bus or train or plane? Not likely even if he was
smaller. The trains in Long Island to go into the city, have raised platforms without side
rails and steps to get to them. Some have escalators, something I wasn't crazy about when
I could see....feared even more now that I cant, but Esther gets me up and down with
confidence.
When a
car was coming at high speed around a corner where I was getting ready to step off because
the light had changed, and the traffic was surging, Esther pulled me back off the curb so
that it didn't hit me. I dot think Hershee would have known enough to do that even though
he loves me dearly, I doubt that he would have been able to reason where the car was, and
how fast it was coming.
When
my husband lost the car in the mall parking lot at Christmas, Esther was given the command
"Find the car" and she did so without hesitation. She proved that it wasn't just
OUR car that she knew, when were were in Florida visiting my in-laws and she found THEIR
car at the lot.
I am
sure that the horses can be taught the right, left, forward, about commands and maybe even
some can be taught to lay down on command but there is little enough room for 22 inch 75
pound Esther under the restaurant table, let alone a horse. She can ball herself up small
enough to sit between my legs in the front seat of a compact car or the seat of the
airplane that we came home from school on. Speaking of the day we came home, we had
to descend a skyway at Laguardia airport walk across the tarmac to the waiting plane and
up the flight of steps to come home. At the bottom of the skyway all I had to say was
"Esther, find the steps to the plane" and she did.
While
I love my horses dearly, and they could probably walk me around my neighborhood with
little incident, I could never trust my life to them which I have had to do with Esther.
It is a fun thing to do to have a horse in your life but not a very safe or practical
one to use as a guide. The purpose of the guide dogs, is to assist with living your life
and be as inconspicuous as possible. Out of sight as much as possible. There is no way
that a Miniature Horse would be inconspicuous anywhere. If your intention is to call
attention to yourself then a horse may be a good idea. If your intention is to live
as normal a life as possible then I just don't see it happening.
Lynette
Jacobs RN, Certified Guide Dog User
Photos of Lyn and Hershee
AMHR
National Champions in Driving and Halter
provided Courtesy of Lyn Jacobs
You can visit Lyn's website at:
www.landkminiatures.com
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