Patty Cooper's miniature horse, Earl, which is short for Early to Rise, weighs 100 pounds and is 32 inches tall, equivalent to the size of a larger dog breed like an Irish Wolfhound. She is working with her landlord to have Earl accepted as a service animal, and by doing so, is sparking an interesting debate on which species of animals best quality to help people with disabilities.Patty uses a wheelchair since breaking her back twice, a result of celiac disease which can, among other things, cause brittle bones. She and Earl have bonded on their daily visits, and now Cooper would like Earl to live with her and be her full-time service animal.
Odd as this might sound, it actually makes sense.
Earl's lifespan is about 50 years, compared to about 10 years for a service dog. Patty just lost her service dog, Tippy, to old age, and would prefer not to go through the pain of losing a friend as well as important service companion again. Earl could solve that problem for her.
But first she needs to convince the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, the organization that provides and manages her affordable apartment.
Their worries are centered around waste both inside and outside the apartment, food storage and grazing for the pony, and the structure needed to house him in the apartment.
All of these seem fixable: horse diapers are available, and look like they could be easy to clean up. There's a variety of storage containers the food could be stored in so that rats or other vermin couldn't access (note that this is a problem for all of us storing food for our pets). Patty is talking to a neighbor of the apartment building to see if it could available for grazing, and a portable stall (with protection for the floor) has been already been put together so Earl can use it when he visits Patty.
There's also a precedent - The Guide Horse Foundation's website gives many examples of how miniature horses serve in creating greater mobility for the visually impaired. Check out the cute pictures of them in the house (and note that they do need to have their outdoor space).
After some initial doubts, both sides are optimistic they can work something out. It would be great to see this have a happy ending for all parties, they seem to be on the right track.
2 comments:
Please do further research into this before suggesting it is a good idea. There is a lot of misinformation being stated, such as the fact that Miniature Horses live for 50 years or more. This is absolutely not true. It is rare for them to live past 30.
Also, this horse is only a yearling, it still has at least a year of growth to go through. It will not remain 32 inches tall, it could gain as much as 4 inches in height.
Horses are a prey animal, unlike a dog who is a predatory animal they run from danger and fear. Despite what the Guide Horse program states they are not suitable for this type of job.
A yearling is still a baby, it will be rambunctious and fractious at times simply because it is still young and playful. I am genuinely concerned for the safety of this woman who has brittle bones. Miniature horses can buck and rear and kick just like a full sized horse and they are remarkably strong for their size. This young horse could very easily hurt her.
I have 35 years experience training and handling miniature horses, and the very idea of this scares me to no end, even without considering the idea of having the animal live in the apartment.
Thanks for your insight on this. It's interesting to see your opinion along side what was reported in the source data, especially the points that horses are prey rather than predatory animals, and the possible danger Patty faces depending on a yearling for her support. It's definitely something that can't be ignored.
Connie
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