A woman turned heads when she recently took her miniature service horse on a first-class American Airlines flight.
Fred the mini horse took to the skies with owner Ronica Froese on his first-ever flight from Grand Rapids Michigan to Ontario, California on February 7.
Over the past year, bringing service animals on planes has been a controversial issue and the finance manager – who needs Fred to help with her incurable autoimmune disease – claims she received some dirty looks on her trip.
However, she said most people were ‘sweet as pie’ to them on the plane, telling CBS News: ‘There’s just not a big enough community for most people to see [a miniature service horse]. So it was a great experience… I could tell the people who weren’t happy, but it is what it is. He was a picture-perfect service animal on the planes.’
While her travel proved successful, the handler received cruel messages online afterwards from people who she says ‘don’t understand that a miniature horse is such a better option for some people’.
She said: ‘I just want the public to know in a world where you can be anything, be kind. And that’s what I wish people online would learn. You can bash people and there are some people who mentally can’t take it. I’m lucky I can take it.’
Guidelines provided by the federal government, published on August 15 last year, allows passengers to bring miniature horses on board American aircrafts so long as they are designated as service animals.
However, following backlash the DoT recently submitted new proposals that leave only therapy dogs able to accompany their handlers on planes.
This prospect has left Ronica concerned, with fears that Fred’s first flight may have been his last.
The finance manager, who spent a year training her horse, admits that bringing service animals on flights is a ‘very abused process’ as there are ‘a lot of untrained service animals’.
However, she argues that the new rules would have a negative impact on people who genuinely need assistance animals.
In a post on her Facebook page, she wrote: ‘I spoke with my older brother yesterday and we had a laugh about the mean things being said online about me. He said he wants my autograph since I broke the internet LEGALLY taking my horse on a plane.
‘At least the world is learning about miniature service horses as much attention as this is getting. I wish it was more positive then it is.’
