Guide Horse Training
The process of training a guide horse is rigorous and takes about eight months for each horse. First they start with basic lead training. They teach the horses to move at the speed that the handler commands and to move around everyday obstacles. The next step in voice command recognition, where the horse in trained to respond to 23 voice commands. The guide horse is taught to maneuver around both stationary and moving obstacles. Then they teach the horses to be able to signal to the handler that there is a step or ramp. The next step is housebreaking, generally an easy process because the horses dislike depositing their waste indoors. Intelligent disobedience, is a crucial part of the training of the guide horse, as the horse is trained to be able to disregard any commands that the horse knows would be unsafe to be horse and the handler.
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