Man with phobia of dogs gets guide horse
A visually impaired man with a phobia of dogs has been given the UK's first guide horse.
Digby, a 60cm-tall American miniature horse is still completing his training, but in a few years will be allowed to live with Mohammed Salim Patel in Blackburn.
Mr Patel, 23, has a degenerative eye condition called Retinis Pigmentosa, but his phobia has stopped him getting a guide dog.
"I have a big phobia of dogs that I was not able to work out, and it was good when I heard about horses being trained," he told Metro.
Mr Patel recently took Digby for his first stroll around his hometown, but the horse will still need a few more years of training.
Digby lives in North Yorkshire with his owner Katy Smith, who said he was initially bred to be a therapy horse.
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"I bred him firstly to be a therapy horse to go to care homes and nursing homes," she told BBC radio.
"But I've always wanted to breed one to help the visually impaired.
"When Digby was born he seemed to have something extra. He needs to be kept busy and was very quick to learn.
"I decided I wanted to train him to be like a guide dog."
Ms Smith said while he is the first guide horse in the UK, there are already at least a dozen in the US.
The horses have a lifespan of 45 to 50 years and are suited to people with allergies or phobias.
