How much of the world around you does that statement really explain? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t explain miniature horses as service animals.
Not a lot, I’m a borderline anarcho-communist.
@Brainspore gave me the answer I was looking for.
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How long before some people start registering their gimps?
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You know, I had animal allergies when I was growing up, so when we got a dog, we got one of the breeds that’s known as being pretty hypo-allergenic. Just saying.
Still better than Axe body spray…
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Some people have more severe pet allergies than others. Miniature horses also have other traits that can be advantageous as service animals; for example
- They don’t get fleas and are easier to groom than many dogs
- Their bodies can help provide physical support for a disabled person prone to losing their balance
- Some cultures and religions have taboos against working with dogs but not horses
- Horses live much longer than dogs and can have a service career of 20 years or more
Bottom line: the Americans with Disabilities Act was updated in 2010 to include horses as well as dogs because the people who are experts in such things recognized them as legitimately useful service animals.
Personally I’m still a dog kind of person but I’m not going to horse-shame any blind people who go in a different direction.
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Well, the legitimacy of miniature horses as service animals is new to me, but there is an organization for guide horses, so I can learn more about it!
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I think all the wacky news stories about people who push the social and legal boundaries by claiming ill-mannered / exotic pets as “emotional support animals” have made it easier to forget that there are legitimate, highly trained service animals out there that don’t have four paws and a waggedy tail.
I love that the first sentence on the website of the site you just linked to is
The Guide Horse Foundation is against the use of riding size horses indoors…
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Understatement.
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But, wait. Wouldn’t each bee need individual registration? A hive isn’t an animal? Or is it… 
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I think they’re afraid allowing full-size horses might open the door to seeing-eye-elephants.
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I think I done seen everything but I’ve never seen an Elephant; Seeing Eye!
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Miniature horeses? Horses are basically poop machines. Why not cats instead?
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Cats are basically murder machines.
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“Fetch my heart pills, Fluffy, I’m dying!!”
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Depends on the cat. My little semi-feral just plays with things like mice, but my huge (22 lbs), black domestic gave up bringing me presents years ago (thank gawd), but did go back into action when we were infested with mice and rats due to nearby construction. Six mice in one month! One caught about a foot from me.Well done, sir!
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Cats can be great for pest control to be sure, but I don’t know how well those skill sets would translate into helping a disabled person get around town. Most cats can’t even stand being on a leash, let alone maintain discipline while walking around for miles at a stretch in an environment filled with potential dangers and distractions.
Horses and dogs were both domesticated into servitude by humans.
Humans were domesticated into servitude by cats.
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Well, I just like cats and the suggestion wasn’t to be taken all that seriously. My cats will follow me around as long as there aren’t many humans or traffic to deal with. Still, I grew up with dogs and like them also, but I always wanted a big black cat, preferably a panther. I’m quite please with what I’ve ended up with.
Beat me to it with the Cage.
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