Horse Sense          October 9, 2001

Cuddles is a real cutie.  Only 24 inches tall, with a mane of chestnut color hair, she is quite gifted for a two-year-old.  She can find her way around the Atlanta subway system and the city's international airport, as well as the streets of Manhattan. And, at 55 pounds, Cuddles is just the right weight for a full-grown miniature horse, the first Guide Horse for the blind in the United States.

Trained by Janet Burleson, founder of the nonprofit Guide Horse Foundation, Cuddles now lives in Maine with owner Dan Shaw, 44, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa.

"Neigh"-sayers voice concern that horses spook easily and might bolt in a crowd.  Burleson, a retired Arabian horse trainer, disagrees. "During the eight-month training session, we teach the horses to 'spook' in place," explains Burleson.  "They learn to accept the normal things of human life, like pedestrians and cars.  Just look at the police horses," says Burleson.  "It's the same idea."

Guide horses aren't for everybody, notes Burleson.  They sleep standing up and need a home with outdoor space and lots of grass to eat.  The Guide Horse Foundation (www.guidehorse.org) is raising funds to train and donate more horses to the blind. "We have about 80 people on the waiting list,", says Burleson.

And since we know you're wondering . . . the answer is yes: Cuddles is housebroken.