How to Train Guide Horses

Horses can be trained for many different purposes, including becoming guide animals for the blind. Miniature horses are making their way to becoming a great alternative to guide dogs.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Train the horse as you would any other horse to accept a halter and be lead around. Teach it to stop, turn, back up and stand tied. Pick up his feet, rub his ears, brush him and get him accustomed to being handled daily. Horses exhibit the same behaviors whether they are full-size or miniature.

2. Teach the guide horse to lead, turn, stop, back, lie down and move forward at a rate appropriate to leading a person while walking. The guide horse must know and follow these commands just to get through a day as a guide. These things must be able to be performed from a verbal command.

3. Instruct the horse on avoiding obstacles in the path of their handler. This includes low overhangs. They must be taught to move safely around objects without leading the handler too close to the object.

4. Prepare the guide horse to avoid moving objects including people, vehicles and anything else that may enter the path of their handler. This is one of the most important parts of training a guide horse.

5. Educate the horse on alerting the handler on any changes of elevation on the ground. Stairs, curbs, holes, ramps or other elevated or lowered can be a great risk to the handler. The horse should be trained to stop and signal the handler in these situations.

6. Housebreak the guide horse so the handler doesn't have to worry about cleaning up after the horse often. Horses can be housebroken and trained to go in certain places.

7. Allow the horse to rely on their own judgment in certain situations. Train him to keep himself safe in any situation, which keeps the handler safe, even if it means disregarding a command from the handler.