Miniature Horses Allowed as Service Animals in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

CHARLOTTE, NC – It’s not exactly who you’d expect inside your child’s classroom. But under CMS policy, service animals include dogs.. and miniature horses.

School Board Members say they’ve been fielding lots of questions over the past few days.

Tuesday night, the board updated it’s service animal policy to bring it up-to-date with changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

That’s when people noticed miniature horses are included as service animals.

“I clarified to a few people that I spoke with that this is a policy that’s been on the books for seven years,” says school board member Elyse Dashew.
So far board members say no student has requested a service horse.

Still, parents are concerned about classroom disruptions.

“You gotta have the right horse for the right fit,” explains Jim Frazier with Blue Blazes Farm.

Frazier trains mini-horses in Mount Pleasant.

He say they do make great service animals, but admits there could be issues if they’re in a classroom.

“The horse is a grazing animal. They’re meant to be outside and not be inside all day around people,” Frazier says.

CMS policy says the horses would only be allowed to treat a specific physical or mental illness.

You couldn’t bring in a horse for emotional support, comfort, or companionship.

“It’s gonna be disruptive, but they also need to understand that these animals, whether it’s a dog or a horse are trained,” said school board member Paul Bailey.

The policy says service animals can be removed if they’re out of control.

It could also be removed if the animal is not housebroken or if it’s behavior interferes in the functions of CMS.

Policy also states the animal must be on a leash, well-groomed, and not have an offensive odor.