Training Digby #UKsFirstGuideHorse
Donation protected
A MESSAGE FROM DIGBY:
“Hello, I’m Digby. Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. I’m very proud to be the UK’s very first miniature horse picked to be a guide horse. Guide horses are more common in America and Israel, for now, but I’m the first over here and I started my training in June 2017. I hope to visit my colleagues in those countries to see them in action, thanks to your donations.”
“To date, I have been learning to respond to guiding cues and getting used to wearing my cool, but slightly embarrassing, thunder pants and harness.
I’ll be paired with a blind man called Mohammed Salim Patel. Salim is very excited about working with me, as he’s blind and phobic when it comes to dogs, so he is looking to me to give him the freedom and independence that guide dogs bring to other blind and visually impaired people.”
“Even though I’m clever and quick to learn, it’s going to be a couple of years before I’m fully trained. Will you help support me through this time, please?
Every little donation will really help with all the costs that will be needed to make me a success.”
DETAILS:
America has been running its guide horse programme for almost two decades. It has seen several blind and visually impaired individuals receive American Miniature Horses as guide animals. Katy Smith, from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England, of KL Pony Therapy is training Digby, who is also an American Miniature to become the UK’s first guide horse. Once Digby has completed his training, he will be paired with blind BBC journalist, Mohammed Salim Patel.
As Digby will be the UK’s first, Katy would like to visit training schools for guide horses in America and Israel. Janet Burleson and her husband Don, in North Carolina, trained the world’s first guide horse, Cuddles. The second training school is in New York, where Alexandra Kurland is based. Alexandra taught Panda, who has now been working successfully with Ann Edie for 15 years. Rafi Rozalis, from Hamerkaz in Israel, has also trained two guide horses and is currently training another three.
By visiting these schools, Katy can gain a wider understanding of how training takes place in America and then use this knowledge to accompany her programme for Digby and future guide horses, for which Katy has already received requests and seen a demand for.
Digby has already started his basic training, learning to walk in a harness and respond to verbal cues. He is proving to be a quick learner and has a friendly, willing attitude to people. He is showing the personality and temperament required for this line of mutual satisfaction.
Your donations will help Digby to achieve his full potential and support a visually impaired person to live independently in the community. As well as allowing Katy and Digby to go to America, your generous donations would also pay for any equipment and general costs that go towards Digby becoming a trained and accredited guide horse.
Mohammed Salim Patel is 23 and lives in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. He suffers from a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. As a result he has lost his sight and is registered blind. Mohammed has a phobia of dogs and is therefore not able to have a guide dog. Mohammed and Digby have already bonded and are both really excited to be undertaking this life-long journey together.
Digby would change Mohammed’s life. Currently he is having to rely on friends and family to do everyday tasks for him, something which Digby would alleviate.
A guide horse can work for 40-50 years compared to a guide dog who has to retire at the age of ten. A horse also has better peripheral vision and by nature are guide animals; only a few of the benefits a miniature horse can bring.
A full list of what the funds are spent on will be collated and published for transparency. Digby is currently nine months old and it would therefore be the ideal time to visit the trainer’s in America before the end of 2018.
To follow Digby’s progress, be sure to follow him on Twitter, using the handle @DigbyGuideHorse or follow KL Pony Therapy on Facebook.
“Hello, I’m Digby. Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. I’m very proud to be the UK’s very first miniature horse picked to be a guide horse. Guide horses are more common in America and Israel, for now, but I’m the first over here and I started my training in June 2017. I hope to visit my colleagues in those countries to see them in action, thanks to your donations.”
“To date, I have been learning to respond to guiding cues and getting used to wearing my cool, but slightly embarrassing, thunder pants and harness.
I’ll be paired with a blind man called Mohammed Salim Patel. Salim is very excited about working with me, as he’s blind and phobic when it comes to dogs, so he is looking to me to give him the freedom and independence that guide dogs bring to other blind and visually impaired people.”
“Even though I’m clever and quick to learn, it’s going to be a couple of years before I’m fully trained. Will you help support me through this time, please?
Every little donation will really help with all the costs that will be needed to make me a success.”
DETAILS:
America has been running its guide horse programme for almost two decades. It has seen several blind and visually impaired individuals receive American Miniature Horses as guide animals. Katy Smith, from Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England, of KL Pony Therapy is training Digby, who is also an American Miniature to become the UK’s first guide horse. Once Digby has completed his training, he will be paired with blind BBC journalist, Mohammed Salim Patel.
As Digby will be the UK’s first, Katy would like to visit training schools for guide horses in America and Israel. Janet Burleson and her husband Don, in North Carolina, trained the world’s first guide horse, Cuddles. The second training school is in New York, where Alexandra Kurland is based. Alexandra taught Panda, who has now been working successfully with Ann Edie for 15 years. Rafi Rozalis, from Hamerkaz in Israel, has also trained two guide horses and is currently training another three.
By visiting these schools, Katy can gain a wider understanding of how training takes place in America and then use this knowledge to accompany her programme for Digby and future guide horses, for which Katy has already received requests and seen a demand for.
Digby has already started his basic training, learning to walk in a harness and respond to verbal cues. He is proving to be a quick learner and has a friendly, willing attitude to people. He is showing the personality and temperament required for this line of mutual satisfaction.
Your donations will help Digby to achieve his full potential and support a visually impaired person to live independently in the community. As well as allowing Katy and Digby to go to America, your generous donations would also pay for any equipment and general costs that go towards Digby becoming a trained and accredited guide horse.
Mohammed Salim Patel is 23 and lives in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. He suffers from a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. As a result he has lost his sight and is registered blind. Mohammed has a phobia of dogs and is therefore not able to have a guide dog. Mohammed and Digby have already bonded and are both really excited to be undertaking this life-long journey together.
Digby would change Mohammed’s life. Currently he is having to rely on friends and family to do everyday tasks for him, something which Digby would alleviate.
A guide horse can work for 40-50 years compared to a guide dog who has to retire at the age of ten. A horse also has better peripheral vision and by nature are guide animals; only a few of the benefits a miniature horse can bring.
A full list of what the funds are spent on will be collated and published for transparency. Digby is currently nine months old and it would therefore be the ideal time to visit the trainer’s in America before the end of 2018.
To follow Digby’s progress, be sure to follow him on Twitter, using the handle @DigbyGuideHorse or follow KL Pony Therapy on Facebook.
Organizer
Katy Smith
Organizer
