20/20: Seeing-Eye Horses
March 30 -- In a world that celebrates big things, it is often the little things that win our hearts and minds. Cuddles is a two-foot high miniature horse that has won over Dan Shaw who lives near Bar Harbor, Maine.
There are an estimated 150,000 miniature horses registered in the United States. A good one costs around $2,000 and they exist primarily for the enjoyment of the people who raise them; but this story is about one of them whose destiny was of a different kind. Cuddles will become the eyes of 44-year-old Shaw.
Shaw is an accomplished craftsman and has built beautiful arbors and birdhouses on his property. In recent years, a disease called retinitis pigmentosa has reduced his field of vision to the size of a pinhole. He will soon be completely blind. In spite of his disability, he has used his sense of touch to continue building the arbors and birdhouses which surround his property, and has also built a bait and tackle shop for himself as a place to work near his home.
"I couldn't find a way of getting into town to get a job, but I knew if I had my own business I could do it and run it my way," Shaw says.
Lifelong Companions
Around 900 miles southwest of where Shaw lives, in Kittrell, N.C., Cuddles trained to use her abilities as a horse in a new way — as an assistance animal for the blind. Janet and Don Burleson, who also own Arabians, have been preparing Cuddles to be Shaw's companion.
When they got the idea to train miniature horses, the Burlesons had no intention of competing with guide dogs. They only wanted to give more options to visually impaired horse lovers, who in turn will have to supply plenty of grazing space. A visit to the Clermont Stables, which are located in the heart of New York City, further inspired them. They were impressed with the ability of the horses, as they made their way through the busy streets that lead to Central Park. The horses remained calm in traffic and responded to traffic patterns.
"They have evolved as an animal that always seeks out the safest, most direct path to get from point A to point B, and they're always safety conscious," says Janet Burlson.
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