The Briefing Room

General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: mystery-ak on August 16, 2018, 05:17:45 pm

Title: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mystery-ak on August 16, 2018, 05:17:45 pm


Posted: Aug 15 2018 07:04PM EDT

Updated: Aug 16 2018 11:10AM EDT

PHOENIX (KSAZ) -- Come September 17, people will be able to carry miniature horses onboard Southwest flights as trained service animals, according to airline officials.

Officials announced the policy change, via a statement on its website on Tuesday. In the statement, officials name miniature horses, along with dogs and cats, as some of the most common service animals that will be accepted onboard. Passengers, however, will need to be able to provide credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained service animal.

In addition, the company announced other changes, such as formally accepting Psychiatric Support Animals (PSAs) as trained service animals, after accepting them informally as such in the past, and will also limit each passenger to one Emotional Support Animal.

Passengers with an ESA will, according to the statement, still need to present a complete, current letter from a medical doctor or licensed mental health professional on the day of departure.

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/southwest-airlines-to-allow-miniature-horses-as-service-animals-in-new-policy (http://www.fox5ny.com/news/southwest-airlines-to-allow-miniature-horses-as-service-animals-in-new-policy)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: rustynail on August 16, 2018, 05:19:33 pm
Neigh.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mirraflake on August 16, 2018, 05:22:41 pm
You can train a dog to hold in it's pee and poop. Not so much with horses. We have horses, they make serious gassy farts that are super loud and wait until it poops and pees. People will be vomiting over the smell.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 16, 2018, 05:29:18 pm
This blatant sizism is unacceptable.  There is no reason my Belgian Draft Horse, my emotional support animal, should be denied access on the plane.

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GP57jJFTLF0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Millee on August 16, 2018, 05:30:37 pm
Ridiculous.  *****rollingeyes*****
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mountaineer on August 16, 2018, 06:29:34 pm
This blatant sizism is unacceptable.  There is no reason my Belgian Draft Horse, my emotional support animal, should be denied access on the plane.
:laugh: This really is getting to be quite ridiculous. How about you people just learn to cope?
I really don't want to experience a manure-filled plane ride. Flying is uncomfortable enough.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: goatprairie on August 16, 2018, 06:44:41 pm
:laugh: This really is getting to be quite ridiculous. How about you people just learn to cope?
I really don't want to experience a manure-filled plane ride. Flying is uncomfortable enough.
"How about you people just learn to cope?"

Now you're being unreasonable. Expecting adults to act like adults??!!! What is wrong with you?
Just because the business of air travel has survived for many decades without service animals is no reason to condemn people who want to bring a "comfort" horse on a passenger plane.
The person with the horse must be accommodated no matter the discomfort of all the other passengers. So what if the horse relieves itself on the plane.  All the other passengers rights are nil when it comes to satisfying a mentally disturbed...er....a passenger in need of comfort.
I'm bringing my pet elephant with me on my next flight. They must accommodate me. It's my right.  (snicker)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 16, 2018, 06:49:38 pm
Mini horses have been used as service animals, especially guide animals for the blind, for nearly 20 years now. And yes, they are house-trained. They have a big advantage over dogs in that their average lifespan is 30 years, meaning that their useful service once trained can be measured in decades rather than single years. Wiki has more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_horse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_horse).
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 16, 2018, 07:13:34 pm
Mini horses have been used as service animals, especially guide animals for the blind, for nearly 20 years now. And yes, they are house-trained. They have a big advantage over dogs in that their average lifespan is 30 years, meaning that their useful service once trained can be measured in decades rather than single years. Wiki has more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_horse (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guide_horse).

Finally, the horse is housebroken, generally an easy process because of horses' natural aversion to depositing fecal waste indoors.

- - - - - - - -

We have horses.  It greatly depends on the horse.  Greatly!

We have a gelding that won't pee in the trailer.  He has gone 6 hours in there.

We have a mare that has repeatedly pooped in her own water.  Even after moving the water to another place in the stall.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 16, 2018, 07:22:29 pm
Finally, the horse is housebroken, generally an easy process because of horses' natural aversion to depositing fecal waste indoors.

- - - - - - - -

We have horses.  It greatly depends on the horse.  Greatly!

We have a gelding that won't pee in the trailer.  He has gone 6 hours in there.

We have a mare that has repeatedly pooped in her own water.  Even after moving the water to another place in the stall.

I understand that. But what I think people on the thread are failing to understand is that these are trained service animals. If the animal can't be housetrained, then it flunks out, and isn't used as a service animal.  :shrug:
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mountaineer on August 16, 2018, 07:26:14 pm
I understand that. But what I think people on the thread are failing to understand is that these are trained service animals. If the animal can't be housetrained, then it flunks out, and isn't used as a service animal.  :shrug:
Not necessarily. The thing now is for people to take all kinds of animals on a flight - untrained or not - insisting they are service animals, and then making the rest of the passengers endure it. If the airlines object, they're branded as insensitive. Frankly, I don't care. If you have to take a horse on an airplane, you're nuts - and it's not my problem.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 16, 2018, 07:29:35 pm
Not necessarily. The thing now is for people to take all kinds of animals on a flight - untrained or not - insisting they are service animals, and then making the rest of the passengers endure it. If the airlines object, they're branded as insensitive. Frankly, I don't care. If you have to take a horse on an airplane, you're nuts - and it's not my problem.

Right, because you must be nuts to want to fly on a plane if you're blind.

The first line of the article says they are accepting trained service animals. Yes, I understand people are claiming all kinds of things as "support animals", but that isn't what Southwest says they will accept on the plane.

But continue on complaining about that if you want.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 16, 2018, 07:32:44 pm
Right, because you must be nuts to want to fly on a plane if you're blind.

The first line of the article says they are accepting trained service animals. Yes, I understand people are claiming all kinds of things as "support animals", but that isn't what Southwest says they will accept on the plane.

But continue on complaining about that if you want.

The fact that they use the requirement of trained and included "cats" makes me believe the whole thing is a hoax.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 16, 2018, 07:44:41 pm
The fact that they use the requirement of trained and included "cats" makes me believe the whole thing is a hoax.

You're right about cats, they're not used as trained service animals. But they are often used as support animals, and I suspect the person writing the press release probably included them without thinking of that distinction.

My main peeve was with the people reacting ignorantly about the mini horses, when those are actually trained to perform as service animals.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mountaineer on August 16, 2018, 11:41:09 pm
But continue on complaining about that if you want.
Who was talking about guide dogs for the blind? Not me. But as long as you're giving me permission to complain ... thanks!
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Right_in_Virginia on August 17, 2018, 12:02:17 am
They should at least diaper the animal ... or everyone on the plane is going to need emotional support.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/15/01/4C3ECC3200000578-0-image-a-1_1526343571967.jpg)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Right_in_Virginia on August 17, 2018, 12:04:12 am
My main peeve was with the people reacting ignorantly about the mini horses, when those are actually trained to perform as service animals.

The horse isn't a seeing eye horse ... it's an emotional support horse.  This may work for one person, but why subject a plane of hostages to it?
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 17, 2018, 12:27:36 am
The horse isn't a seeing eye horse ... it's an emotional support horse.  This may work for one person, but why subject a plane of hostages to it?

Which horse are you talking about?  I'm talking about mini horses actually trained to be seeing-eye animals for blind people, as the Southwest Airlines policy is also talking about: trained service animals.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Ghost Bear on August 17, 2018, 12:28:43 am
Who was talking about guide dogs for the blind? Not me. But as long as you're giving me permission to complain ... thanks!

I'm talking about guide (mini) horses for the blind.  Have you heard of those? They exist.

You're welcome.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: goodwithagun on August 17, 2018, 12:33:21 am
Oh come on! I don’t like flying either. You know what my emotional support is? Vodka.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: bigheadfred on August 17, 2018, 12:52:38 am
This blatant sizism is unacceptable.  There is no reason my Belgian Draft Horse, my emotional support animal, should be denied access on the plane.

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GP57jJFTLF0/maxresdefault.jpg)


"on" being the keyword here.

(https://i.imgur.com/BzjuaTB.jpg)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 17, 2018, 11:29:25 am
The horse isn't a seeing eye horse ... it's an emotional support horse.  This may work for one person, but why subject a plane of hostages to it?

The Guide Horse Foundation
http://www.guidehorse.com/ (http://www.guidehorse.com/)

Our mission is to provide a safe, cost-effective and reliable mobility alternative for visually impaired people.  The Guide Horse Foundation is committed to delivering Guide Horses at no cost to the blind, relying on un-paid volunteers and charitable donations to pay all travel and housing expenses for the blind handler's on-site training.

(http://www.guidehorse.com/images/erik/c10.jpg)

(http://www.guidehorse.com/images/erik/c1.jpg)
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: mountaineer on August 17, 2018, 12:42:54 pm
The posted article isn't about guide animals for the visually impaired, though. It's about "emotional support" animals, which I consider a huge imposition on the other passengers who already have had to endure a TSA rectal exam just to be crammed into a little airplane seat about the size of an infant's highchair. Surely there's some other way for the emotionally fragile to get through a flight than ruining several dozen other peoples' flying experience.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 17, 2018, 01:00:20 pm
The posted article isn't about guide animals for the visually impaired, though. It's about "emotional support" animals, which I consider a huge imposition on the other passengers who already have had to endure a TSA rectal exam just to be crammed into a little airplane seat about the size of an infant's highchair. Surely there's some other way for the emotionally fragile to get through a flight than ruining several dozen other peoples' flying experience.

From the article:

Officials announced the policy change, via a statement on its website on Tuesday. In the statement, officials name miniature horses, along with dogs and cats, as some of the most common service animals that will be accepted onboard. Passengers, however, will need to be able to provide credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained service animal.

I don't see how you read that and interpret it is only emotional support animals.  Trained service, not just something you need for hugging.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: InHeavenThereIsNoBeer on August 17, 2018, 01:08:08 pm
This blatant sizism is unacceptable.  There is no reason my Belgian Draft Horse, my emotional support animal, should be denied access on the plane.

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GP57jJFTLF0/maxresdefault.jpg)

Ever been on a plane that experienced serious turbulence?

That's one serious projectile.

Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: thackney on August 17, 2018, 01:12:38 pm
Ever been on a plane that experienced serious turbulence?

That's one serious projectile.

I once flew from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam that was so turbulent, they never were able to serve drinks the entire flight ~8 hours.  The plane twisted so much that ~1/3 of the overhead bin doors opened up at one time or another.

Ever been hit by a flying miniature horse?  The big draft horse won't have enough room to bounce around.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Applewood on August 17, 2018, 01:27:02 pm
Actually,  I'd rather have a miniature horse on the plane with me than, say, some bratty kid who kicks the back of my seat or the guy in the seat next to me who hasn't had a bath in a decade and/or doesn't believe in deodorant,  or the stupid people who hold up the flight while they try to stuff a suitcase the size of a baby grand piano into the overhead compartment. 
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Blizzardnh on August 17, 2018, 01:56:02 pm
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp5O4pfoPg#)
Have a eating disorder? get a bacon pet.
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: bigheadfred on August 17, 2018, 02:17:18 pm
I was on a flight from London to New York. There was a thunderstorm over JFK. The pilot gave it three tries to land. The third try I am looking out the window and could see the runway lights. A gust hit us and the lights disappeared sideways. They took us to Philly. Sat on the plane for 6 hours. They shut down the AC and stopped serving anything. Wouldn't let anyone off. Something about no customs at that airport. Some seriously unhappy people on that plane.

On another flight from Phoenix to Salt Lake, a Southwest flight,  the couple in front of us had a small child. He was upset and finally vomited all over "dad". We are getting off the plane and I told him, "Tough flight for your son". He said, "I don't even know her...."
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: Fishrrman on August 18, 2018, 01:02:35 am
The whole idea of "service animals" of ANY capacity on a plane seems ridiculous, but thankfully I'll never have to sit next to one...
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: berdie on August 18, 2018, 01:49:13 am
Actually,  I'd rather have a miniature horse on the plane with me than, say, some bratty kid who kicks the back of my seat or the guy in the seat next to me who hasn't had a bath in a decade and/or doesn't believe in deodorant,  or the stupid people who htllold up the flight while they try to stuff a suitcase the size of a baby grand piano into the overhead compartment.
[/qullote]

o



I totally agree
Title: Re: Southwest Airlines to allow miniature horses as service animals in new policy
Post by: bigheadfred on August 18, 2018, 06:48:51 am
And thus ends humanity.

When animal life is of more importance than YOU.

ha ha ha