Muslim Woman Leans on Guide Horse

Muslims consider canines unclean, which was a problem for a blind Muslim woman who wanted a guide dog. So she got a guide horse. Mona Ramouni of suburban Detroit is getting used to 3-year-old miniature horse Cali—“this is a really awesome little horse,” she told the AP—but it’s not a relationship to be taken lightly. “Taking on a horse as a guide is a huge commitment,” Cali’s trainer said.

“It is not a novelty. It is a real working animal,” the trainer said, adding that Ramouni, 28, is handling it well: “I've never met a young woman with so much dedication.” For her part, Ramouni is in it for the long haul. “I want a horse that will be a partner for the next 30 or so years,” she said. “What I really want is to be able to take her places and go places with her that neither of us ever would have been able to do without each other.”