Miniature Service Horse Travels With Owner On American Airlines Flight, And The Photos Are Hilarious
“Flirty the Mini Service Horse” just might be the most ridiculous service animal that’s ever booked a seat.
A pint-sized equine passenger surprised pretty much everyone on a recent American Airlines flight from Chicago to Omaha. “Flirty The Mini Service Horse” accompanied her owner Abrea Hensley on a regional jet on Friday as the pair headed off for a long weekend trip. Hensley tweeted that she was flying to visit family in Nebraska.
Other passengers tweeted out pics of Flirty, evidently a little freaked—perhaps in a good way—to be taking to the friendly skies with the seven-year-old mini-horse.
Hensley records the pair’s trips together under the Twitter handle @FlirtyTheSH.
Flirty and I took to the skies, yesterday! It was a great experience and I learned a lot. Flirty was FANTASTIC and handled it all like a pro. That being said, I’m going to keep traveling by car, it’s just easier on Flirty. Flying will be reserved for emergencies and such. https://t.co/AHfHXpoU2V
— Flirty The Mini Service Horse (@FlirtyTheSH) August 30, 2019
The Omaha World-Herald reports that Flirty has been supporting Hensley since 2017 assisting with medical alerts and aiding mobility.
In short, Flirty is a very good little horse. Still, her presence kind of messes with others sometimes.
Now I’ve really seen it all. A mini horse service animal on an American Airlines flight. pic.twitter.com/aj3Uz5uZsi
— Crotbones (@Crotbones) September 3, 2019
Who’s taking their horse on their next flight? 😂😂
Too good. pic.twitter.com/0MHFMvY7md
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 31, 2019
“At this time we would like to begin boarding with any active duty military, families traveling with children under the age of 3, and horses…” @AmericanAir @LilNasX @barstoolsports @BarstoolILLSt @realslimshanny @UNITEDA1RLINES @billyraycyrus @SouthwestAir @TSA @Kat103Omaha pic.twitter.com/qVRLCH4IFc
— Van Novak (@ecnowak) August 30, 2019
y’all ever see someone with a miniature horse as a service animal? bringing a pony on an airplane is a god-tier flex pic.twitter.com/K87g0CJ4Uy
— rach (@rachelbelllll) August 31, 2019
Insert rolling eyes. Did this lady have to pay for two tickets? The guy who paid for first class gets to smell horses ass the whole flight. https://t.co/KX8mQfooxf pic.twitter.com/hmVqtHdh6L
— Von Glitschka (@Vonster) September 2, 2019
No less than the American Airlines (unofficial) stewardess’ Instagram essentially jumped to Flirty’s defense against those who sneered at an “emotional support horse.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zLncxHDsw
The caption read in part, “Flirty is a service animal. NOT an emotional support animal although she sure would give me emotional support…”
It’s true, as Abrea Hensley pointed out on Flirty’s Twitter with a screengrab from the Americans with Disabilities Act rules:
Miniature horses are the only alternative to dogs that are allowed as service animals by the ADA. pic.twitter.com/jGgzEf0bAo
— Flirty The Mini Service Horse (@FlirtyTheSH) April 10, 2019
“In addition to the provisions about service dogs,” the image reads, “the Department’s revised ADA regulations have a new, separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”
“(Miniature horses generally range in height from 24 inches to 34 inches measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.) Entities covered by the ADA must modify their policies to permit miniature horses where reasonable.”
In essence, Flirty’s a trained animal doing a job for someone with a proven need.
All that said, if you ever see her and her owner on a flight, please don’t try to make your emotional support chihuahua ride her (at least until after takeoff.)