Mini Horse Competition at WKU Showcases Nonprofit for Service Horses

Miniature horses and their handlers from various parts of the country will gather at the Agriculture Exposition Center of Western Kentucky University (WKU) throughout the weekend for the prestigious Kentucky Breeder’s Cup. Here, advocacy for service horses will be on full display, with demonstrations and networking integral to the competition. The event serves as a unique stage for the new nonprofit organization, Cheval Assistants and Leaders International, (CALI Corp) to showcase their cause.

Competitors from Across the Nation

The competition has drawn breeders and handlers, along with their tiny equines, from states like Oklahoma, Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Illinois. All vie for a chance to display their horses on a global platform. Show manager Lisa Leonard spoke on the myriad of activities scheduled for the event, “You’ll see them [horses] driving, jumping, overcoming obstacles. It’s a wide variety.” She further added, “We have kids as young as four years old showing, all the way up to people in their 80s and 90s. The miniatures are truly for everyone.”

A Platform for CALI Corp

This diverse audience offers a golden opportunity for CALI Corp to introduce their nonprofit. The organization is dedicated to training and pairing service horses with individuals living with disabilities. Founded by Mona Ramouni and Teagan Russ, both blind women with guide animals, the organization is hopeful that the event will facilitate networking within the miniature horse community and create opportunities for future breeding and collaborations.

Miniature Horses as Guides

While guide dogs are usually the first animals that come to mind in terms of service animals, Russ and Ramouni stated that miniature horses have been employed for several years as well. These little creatures provide the same benefits as a guide dog but with extended lifespans and additional services for those with disabilities affecting mobility. Russ commented on the advantages of working with a horse, stating, “When you think about it, horses do so, so, so much for people, from police horses to parade horses, show horses, and we used to ride them into battle. It’s a little different working with a horse than a dog, but that has its benefits.”

Hopes for the Future

Through their demonstrations to spectators and participants in the weekend’s competitions, the co-founders hope to initiate new partnerships either through investments in the nonprofit or by acquiring more miniature horses suitable for the precise work of a service animal. “The kind of horses we’re looking for are very few and far between and hard to get and expensive. So, networking with people and private sales are going to be the way to go for a lot of these horses,” said Russ. The Kentucky Breeder’s Cup will run until Sunday, with all invited to attend the free event.