Guide horse

[2] The Burlesons though may appear to have a claim for the practical proposal of using a miniature horse as a service animal for the blind or partially sighted.

In 1998, while on a horseback ride in New York City, Janet and Don Burleson of Kittrell, North Carolina, noticed how their horses were able to sense on their own when to cross the street.

But her urban experience changed her view of the behavior exhibited by one of their pet miniature horses, "Twinkie", on their farm back home.

Shaw heard about the Burlesons' experimental program, and was particularly interested when he found out that horses live thirty to forty years.

After all, in the 1920s, when Dorothy Eustis began training German Shepherds to lead the blind, many people scoffed at the idea.

"[4] Another user received her horse "Panda" in 2003, and in 2007 the Associated Press reported the owner describing her guide as "protective, alert and house-trained -- and she loves to play fetch.

Unfortunately the miniature horse underwent a height growth spurt to 33 inches (0.84 m) which proved too tall for its handler's office in Salford, Manchester.

In the United States, on 15 September 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) clarified the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ruled that properly trained and suitably sized miniature Guide Horses could be recognized as service animals.

However, while a dog can adapt to many different home situations, a horse must live outdoors, requiring a shelter and room to move about when not on duty.

Some individuals also are concerned that a horse's powerful fight-or-flight instinct may lead it to have less predictable behavior than that of a guide dog.