Talk:Guide horse
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[edit] Horses' vision
Right... so this article has listed horses' peripheral vision as a plus for quite some time, but I've had horses nearly all my life, and the more I think about it, the less sense it seems to make. Horses do indeed have a huge field of vision- if I remember correctly, 340 degrees or even more, but most of it is monocular, their binocular vision is roughly along the line of their nose, and only when they're "using" it- paying attention to what's in front of them.
Also, there's a reason why horses often throw up their heads when people try to pet their foreheads: they're trying to see the hand! This is because they have a rather large blind spot in front of their "faces" (roughly, a cone with its tip in the middle of their foreheads, following an imaginary line perpendicular to one drawn from eye to eye). What does this have to do with anything? I don't see horses doing particularly well in "obstacle-evasion." They can tilt their heads, sure, but what about in avoiding overhead objects? Do they have to be trained to hold their noses way up all the time? - Sarranduin (Talk) 04:54, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
- That...is an amazingly good question. From what you say, it seems like Guide horses would be very, very good at avoiding tiny obstacles or things that came from the side, but bad at avoiding things at about the level of their owners' faces.
- So I don't know what to do with that entry. I'm reluctant to move it clear over to the 'disadvantages' section without verification; maybe it should be removed altogether. --Masamage 05:22, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
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- It seems that continued removal is indeed the best solution... this article isn't really the place to discuss horses' vision, and unless someone actually does some sort of reasonable study on miniature horses' abilities in relation to their guide work status, saying anything would be mostly speculation.... - Sarranduin (Talk) 19:35, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Opening paragraph
I had to edit the opening paragraph after reading the references given. The opening paragraph made the guide horse seem like a viable alternative to a guide dog, while the reference all point it is an experimental program. Jeepday 03:40, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Categories
Any reason this article is in Category:Types of horses? Ealdgyth | Talk 19:17, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
- Because it's a type of horse--not a breed or anything, but certainly a type. Not unlike Show (animal), which is also in there. Anyway, the category header says "This category is to be used for articles that describe any distinct types of horses other than breeds." --Masamage ♫ 23:08, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
- Generally a type of horse, in horseman talk, means close to a breed, but not quite yet a breed. See Cob (horse) or Warmblood. Are they trying to breed for a specific color/conformation/use? Or is this like a guide dog program, where there isn't a specific breeding program for the animals, but instead is a training issue? The way I read the article, it's a use of the horse that isn't necessarily dependant on a specific conformation or gait. Ealdgyth | Talk 23:16, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
- I think it's part breeding and mostly training; the official website probably has more information. Anyway, I don't know about horseman talk, but it does look to me like the category is supposed to contain any group of horses that isn't genetics-based. So pit pony and polo pony and horses in warfare are all in there, too. --Masamage ♫ 23:19, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
- Generally a type of horse, in horseman talk, means close to a breed, but not quite yet a breed. See Cob (horse) or Warmblood. Are they trying to breed for a specific color/conformation/use? Or is this like a guide dog program, where there isn't a specific breeding program for the animals, but instead is a training issue? The way I read the article, it's a use of the horse that isn't necessarily dependant on a specific conformation or gait. Ealdgyth | Talk 23:16, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
