How about a... miniature guide horse!

Discussion in 'Labradors in Service' started by MF, Apr 30, 2017.

  1. MF

    MF Registered Users

    Joined:
    May 5, 2014
    Messages:
    2,545
    Location:
    Cape Town, South Africa
    I came across a video on facebook this morning about a guide horse called Panda. I can't paste that link here -- seems you need to be in facebook to see it. But you can Google "Panda guide horse" and it should come up. What I loved is that the person speaking said "we train using positive only" and that makes the horse "continue to work enthusiastically". Also interesting is that these horses can live for 40-50 years, keeping them in service for a very long time!

    http://www.guidehorse.com/

    This one shows Panda being trained:
    In this video I loved learning about "intelligent disobedience". I think the clippity-clop hooves must be useful feedback for the blind person.
     
  2. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2013
    Messages:
    14,194
    Location:
    Canberra, Australia
    This pony is entirely clicker trained :) The trainer was Alexandra Kurland (the lady describing the training in the vid) who is a pioneer of clicker training in horses.
     
    MF and snowbunny like this.
  3. Joy

    Joy Registered Users

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2014
    Messages:
    4,259
    I loved watching this video. I thought the part where the horse makes the decision to go around the chain was especially clever.
     
    MF likes this.
  4. drjs@5

    drjs@5 Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    Messages:
    15,335
    Location:
    Fife, Scotland
    First thought.......Shetland pony in supermarket :eek:

    Second thought.......Emily? Would it fit under an airplane seat? :idea:

    Third thought..........Who the heck would put a sign at that height?:computerrage:

    Fascinating though! Really interesting.
     
    Emily_BabbelHund and MF like this.
  5. Boogie

    Boogie Supporting Member Forum Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2014
    Messages:
    8,416
    My thought was that horses hooves are solid!

    I was once stepped on by a small pony and the bruises lasted for weeks!


    :eek::eek:
     
    MF likes this.
  6. Lisa

    Lisa Registered Users

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2013
    Messages:
    5,743
    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    I heard about this quite a few years ago. One of the main considerations being length of life of a horse as opposed to a dog. Fascinating idea!
     
    MF likes this.
  7. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2012
    Messages:
    12,217
    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    I saw this a long while ago, amazing. Brilliant idea and whatever works is great. xx :)
     
  8. Emily_BabbelHund

    Emily_BabbelHund Longest on the Forum without an actual dog

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2016
    Messages:
    3,959
    Location:
    Regensburg, Germany (Bavaria)
    Short answer... no! :rofl:

    But having watched the video, she looks smaller than a dog to me. Clearly I've been seeing too many Spanish mastiffs lately and now think of giant dogs as just "normal sized". :rolleyes:
     
    drjs@5 likes this.
  9. Snowshoe

    Snowshoe Registered Users

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2015
    Messages:
    2,546
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I just love the sound of her little feet tapping along the pavement. :) I saw a magazine article years, decades even, ago on a miniature horse trained for a BIG man who was blind. It too mentionned the advantage of a much longer life for the owner. It's so nice to see the action in the video.
     
    MF likes this.

Share This Page