Woman Spotted Taking Her Miniature Service Horse on a Flight to Chicago

Andrea Romano

Most of the time, a horse is the last animal you might expect to see on a commercial flight.

However, miniature horses are an increasingly popular alternative service animal for people who have disabilities, but for whatever reason, cannot own a dog or other common animal. Even airports across the U.S. have tried out employing miniature horses to help flyers ease their travel stress.

Abrea Hensley, in particular, travels around with her miniature mare, Flirty, in order to do everyday errands and tasks, as well as going on long-distance trips.

Hensley took the 27-inch horse on its first flight ever last week, according to Business Insider, and it looks like the little horse is already a seasoned air traveler.

Hensley and Flirty boarded their first flight from Omaha, Nebraska to Chicago, Illinois on American Airlines. The two returned to Nebraska on Saturday. The Department of Transportation announced in August that miniature horses are valid support animals who are allowed to fly on commercial flights, according to Fox News.

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Here are some pictures from our trip, yesterday! The plans ended up changing a bit and we flew to Chicago instead of NYC. This enabled me to see an aunt whom I haven't seen for a few years, so that was lovely! I have to say how impressed I am with how Flirty did on this trip. She took it all in stride like a pro. Once we achieved cruising altitude, she stood quietly and even took a nap! She managed the takeoff and landing pretty well, though she did have to work hard to keep her balance. She stood patiently as we waited for flights, and put up with lots of people crowding around to ask us questions. I learned a lot from this trip. I found out that it's important to make sure that I board early so I have maneuvering space to back Flirty in - she prefers standing with her butt against the side of the plane. I think she felt a bit claustrophobic when lack of maneuvering space forced me to lead her into our seats on the first flight. For the second flight, we boarded first so I had room to maneuver her and back her into our seats. I learned that she trusts me a lot and followed me up and down the ramps, and stepped up into the plane without hesitating at all. I also learned that I'm going to continue traveling by car and save flying for emergency situations. The airport here is smaller, so the planes are also smaller and don't have fixed bulkheads, they just have curtains for the "bulkheads" that separate first class from coach. As a result, Flirty was basically bumping the back of the last first class seats throughout the taxiing and takeoff, until we reached cruising altitude and she could settle in and take a nap. I know that annoyed the passengers sitting in those seats (my apologies to you folks, I didn't realize this would be an issue). It's also easier on Flirty to be able to stop and walk at various points during the road trip, versus standing around and airport and then standing in somewhat cramped space on the plane. All in all, it was a great experience, though. The people we met at the airport were all very kind and most people thought it was neat that service horses existed and could fly. The staff in particular at both airports was phenomenal.

A post shared by Flirty The Mini Service Horse (@flirty.the.mini.service.horse) on Aug 30, 2019 at 9:35am PDT

“I have to say how impressed I am with how Flirty did on this trip. She took it all in stride like a pro,” Hensley wrote on her Instagram account that is dedicated to the service animal. “Once we achieved cruising altitude, she stood quietly and even took a nap.”

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Here’s a video of Flirty taking a nap on the first flight! She was so relaxed, once we got up in the air, and stood very quietly. You can see that she’s dozing, here. I fed her a lot of treats while we were ascending and descending to keep her swallowing and allow her ears to adjust to the pressure. She did show some discomfort by shaking her head once or twice, but the treats mostly did the trick to keep her comfortable.

A post shared by Flirty The Mini Service Horse (@flirty.the.mini.service.horse) on Aug 30, 2019 at 1:07pm PDT

Hensley wrote that Flirty only had a little bit of trouble keeping her balance in flight. Hensley wrote that she learned quite a bit after this first trip, including the best ways to situate Flirty so they’re both comfortable and out of the way of other passengers, the best time to arrive in order to board efficiently, and that she has a much closer bond with her horse than she thought.

“She trusts me a lot and followed me up and down the ramps, and stepped up into the plane without hesitating at all,” Hensley wrote.

She added that she will be sticking mostly to car travel after this trip since Hensley’s home airport is very small and she worried about Flirty bumping into people and things.

Luckily, the American Airlines staff were happy to accommodate Hensley and Flirty. The plane crew even stopped to take a picture with the adorable horse.

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Here’s a great picture from @aastews of the flight crew from American Airlines! They were fantastic and kind and very excited to see Flirty on their flight! Even the pilots had to come out to say hi.

A post shared by Flirty The Mini Service Horse (@flirty.the.mini.service.horse) on Aug 30, 2019 at 5:33pm PDT

One passenger on one of the flights seemed very amused to be sharing a plane with a horse as well.

According to KMTV-3, Hensley suffers from a range of disabilities which are covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), including depression, severe anxiety, and PTSD. She is allergic to dogs, so she uses Flirty to help her anxiety, to remember to take her medication, and to keep her balance in large crowds. The ADA also has a separate provision that recognizes miniature horses as a service animal.

Hensley told KMTV-3 that she has only had run-ins with people who didn’t understand her situation a few times, including some where she was kicked out of stores.

Policies surrounding service animals, emotional support animals, and pets can vary from airline to airline, so it’s recommended to check your airline’s website before you book to make sure your furry (or hooved) companion can go with you.