MORE often than not, four-legged animals helping the partially-sighted are dogs.

Trained to be the eyes of people living with severe visual impairments, guide dogs help with day-to-day tasks their owners may otherwise struggle with.

But four-legged friends are not always the animals we expect with a miniature horse trained in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, now set to become the first guide horse in the UK.

Pint-sized Digby has been assigned to Salim Patel, a young man who began losing his sight aged 15 and who also developed a fear of dogs aged nine.

Mr Patel, from Lancashire, could not bring himself to get close enough to guide dogs, but with experience around horses he contacted various organisations with the possibility of training a guide pony.

Mr Patel was told it was not possible and resigned himself to a life dependent on others, until he was told about a documentary on guide horses in America.

He was turned down by trainers overseas, but eventually tracked down Katy Smith, a former carer injured in a riding accident who turned her hand to training therapy.

The Northallerton-based trainer had brought Digby the miniature horse over from the US where he was bred from other miniature assistance horses.

Following a year of intensive training, Digby can use stairs, press the button at a pelican crossing, open a train door and find post boxes.

His training will take another two years to complete, but it is hoped Mr Patel can be dependent on Digby, who will have a stable in his garden.

Digby is now a finalist in the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2018 in the Hero Pet category.

Mr Patel said: “Digby will enable me to have a level of independence that I haven’t ever had before. He will accompany me everywhere and it means I won’t have to rely on other people – he will change my life and we’ll go wherever we like, whenever we like.”