They’re not horsing around.
A Michigan woman brought her miniature service horse with her on a recent flight in hopes of showing what’s possible with assistance animals on planes, West Michigan news station WXMI reported.
Ronica Froese traveled with Fred, her therapy and service horse, from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Ontario, Calif., and back this month amid concerns that the Department of Transportation could soon limit which animals are permitted on planes.
“It’s definitely an abused system, but the sad part is what the DOT is looking at doing, they are looking at excluding me as a handler from taking my horse on the plane,” Froese told the TV outlet.
Froese and Fred departed on Feb. 7 and connected in Dallas before making it to California, according to WXMI. They returned last Thursday.
She says the flights were a success, other than some people staring at the mini horse.
“I purchased two first class seats in bulkhead seating, I paid an arm and a leg for tickets but I did so because it was Fred’s first time and I wanted him to be comfortable, I wanted him to have the most room,” Froese said.
In a proposed rule submitted earlier this month by the Department of Transportation, airlines would be permitted to disallow service animals other than dogs to fly.
But Froese says its important for her to have Fred with her when she travels, and hopes her journey with him will give the Department of Transportation a new perspective.
