NAVIGATOR

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation released formal guidance regarding animals on planes, saying cats, dogs and miniature horses should be prioritized for service-animal travel.

Q Why a mini horse?

A The animals are mild-mannered and fast learners, with nearly 360-degree vision. They offer balance support to individuals with physical disabilities. Mona Ramouni, who has more experience travelling with a miniature horse than perhaps anyone else, says that “With a dog you’ll get eight to 10 years if you are lucky. With a horse you get 35, 40 years.”

Q How do you get a horse to the airport?

A True miniature horses, not to be confused with ponies, are less than 34 inches in height. They can fit into the back of a hatchback, which is how Ramouni and her husband get Cali to the airport.

Q How do you get the horse on the plane?

A Ramouni calls the airline the day before to give a heads up that she will be travelling with a horse. Before going to the gate, she takes Cali to the women’s restroom. “My horse has been trained to go potty in a plastic bag,” she said. “I would just give her the command to go potty, then I flush it down the toilet.” (Cali is used to going for long stretches without urinating in-flight, but Ramouni has created a tidy defecation setup for long flights: When she senses that Cali needs to go, she signals the horse, who then goes into a deodorized bag.) Seeing a horse in an airport restroom tends to spark such questions as “Is that real?” On one occasion, Ramouni responded to a drunken woman with “I don’t know what you are talking about.”