Guide Horse Candidates

Dan Shaw & Cuddles

Dan Shaw & Cuddles were the first Guide Horse Team to be placed into full-time service.  At home in Maine, Dan & Cuddles were placed in June 2001 and have been a successful working team for several years.

Upon their graduation, Dan and Cuddles were given a special graduation party in Boston, complete with a limousine, a police motorcycle escort, and, of course, a cadre of mounted police on horseback.  The event was sponsored by The Rack and the Carroll School for the blind, and the event was attended by many prominent Bostonians including the Mayor of Boston.

Dan reports that Cuddles get better every year and has learned complex commands in addition to the 23 voice commands she learned in initial training.  Cuddles can now respond to "find the mailbox", "take a walk" where she has memorized a walking route through Dan's neighborhood, and "find the car" where Cuddles locates their car in a crowded mall parking lot.

Dan reports one occasion where Cuddles saved him from serious injury.  Dan & Cuddles were at an outdoor fair and standing next to a large tent.  Cuddles sensed that the tent was in imminent danger of collapse and forced Dan to a safe distance, just seconds before a large tent beam crashed into the spot they were standing.

Dan and Cuddles have also proven the practicality of Guide Horse teams, traveling on long journeys alone and flying round-trip from Boston to Chicago to appear on the Oprah show.

Dan & Cuddles have their own website at www.danandcuddles.com.

Please Note: Each of our candidates cherish their privacy and the Guide Horse Foundation will not provide their direct contact information unless given direct permission from the candidates.  Please direct any requests to speak with candidates to info@guidehorse.com.