Most service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act are dogs, but the law allows one exception: miniature horses. Jessica Wellman trains miniature horses as service animals, and she has tails to tell about her own service mini horse, Honey.
In this edition of Ask About the ADA, the Northeast ADA Center interviews Jessica about how miniature horses serve people with disabilities, how their specialties differ from service dogs, the extensive training process, and so much more.
Learn more about Jessica's training organization, Procyon Training.
NortheastADA.org
Most service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act are dogs, but the law allows one exception: miniature horses. Jessica Wellman trains miniature horses as service animals, and she has tails to tell about her own service mini horse, Honey.
In this edition of Ask About the ADA, the Northeast ADA Center interviews Jessica about how miniature horses serve people with disabilities, how their specialties differ from service dogs, the extensive training process, and so much more.
Learn more about Jessica's training organization, Procyon Training.
NortheastADA.org
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JOE ZESSKI: Hello. Welcome to Ask About the ADA, the podcast where we answer your questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act and talk about the issues that impact your life. On today's episode, we have a special guest who will be joining us to talk about one of the areas that we get a lot of questions about, service animals. And a lot of times when people call and ask, they pretty much only think about service dogs, because, again, that, in our area, in the Northeast, tends to be the most common type of service animal.
But this special guest, Jessica Wellman, is someone who actually trains as well as uses miniature horse as a service animal. And for those of you who are not familiar, the regulations from the Department of Justice say that service animals must be dogs with the single possible exception of a miniature horse. So we'll get into that as well as other training that she does for service dogs. But before I introduce Jessica, let me just let people know that joining me today to interview Jessica is our producer Grace Fairchild. Grace, thanks for coming back on.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Of course.
JOE ZESSKI: We appreciate it very much. And let me introduce Jessica. Again, I met Jessica virtually a few weeks ago. And she has such a fascinating, interesting story that I asked her to come on to the podcast and be a part of the conversation. Because I think it's an area that people don't know much about and could really use a chance to learn a little bit more. Jessica, welcome to our podcast. Thanks for coming on.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Oh, well, thank you so much for having me.
JOE ZESSKI: Oh, our pleasure. Let's start again at the beginning. Jessica, can you share a little bit about your story with us, your experience, and your background?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Sure thing. I actually met my business partner, Stephanie. We both worked at a Petco up in Maryland. And we got together and hit it off really well because both of us are children of disabled parents. So we really were able to find a lot of similarities in each other's histories because of that and.
Also because of that, we saw what a lot of people who are disabled, what they have to go through in a day-to-day life. So we both got very interested in working with animals to help our other family members. And then not maybe one or two years before that, I myself was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
And as Stephanie and I both were talking, we decided to create Procyon Training, which is our business where we train dogs and also miniature horses to assist people that have disabilities. So we started up in Maryland. It was very small. And then we happened to move down to Ocala, Florida, which also happens to be horse country down here. It's actually known as the horse capital of the world. And we've been running Procyon Training now for 11 years.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Wow. So how did you learn how to train miniature horses?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Well, fortunately for me, I was grown up in a very equine-focused kind of household. We weren't people that competed, but we had a true love for horses. My mom had horses when I was born, so I really grew up in that environment. We took care of all of our own horses. We didn't pay people to take care of it, so I learned very early on how to be around and also how to care for them and what they need as an animal. So I really think that helped me when it comes to the training aspect to begin with.
So, yeah, it was good in that. And my mom, even with her disability, she was still very active with her horses and in allowing me the opportunity to experience that as well as a young child and then growing up. So I've always had horses, but I hadn't always had miniature horses.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Right.
JESSICA WELLMAN: It was pretty amusing getting my first look into the miniature horse world, if you will.
JOE ZESSKI: And, of course, you're very much in that world nowadays. And as I hinted at the beginning, you use a miniature horse as a service animal yourself, right?
JESSICA WELLMAN: I do, yes. I actually got my current miniature horse who's my service animal-- her name is Honey. And I got her maybe 12 years ago. And I actually won her in a $5 raffle from the Horse World Expo, which is held up in Timonium, Maryland. So it was pretty funny. I put $5 in to donate to this raffle, and they gave me a raffle ticket.
And then they called me up a couple of days later and they were like, congratulations, you won the grand prize. I'm like, oh, goody. And I thought maybe it would be like a little bag of feed and maybe a tote that had some brushes and some treats in it. Because at that time, I had a big horse. I actually still have him. He's a thoroughbred. And I was like, oh, cool, I'll get some stuff to use with my horse.
And they came over and they basically just dropped off this little pony. And she's not a pony. She's a miniature horse, but she's nine months old. And she was practically feral. Like, she just came rip-roaring off the trailer and couldn't hardly touch her. And I was like, oh, good, what do I do with this?
[LAUGHTER]
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Oh, wow.
JESSICA WELLMAN: It was quite an adventure from the beginning.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: What a return on investment for your $5 raffle ticket.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Yeah!
JOE ZESSKI: Exactly. [LAUGHS]
JESSICA WELLMAN: I was not prepared. At that time, I did not understand the assignment.
[LAUGHTER]
But, yeah, so I started out with her. And thankfully, I had had a lot of horse experience before that, like I said, because I grew up caring for my own. And at that point in time, I was actually managing a boarding farm up in Maryland, so I was taking care of quite a few horses. And it wasn't hard to start with, but it was the size difference and just the difference in general between the miniature horses and the big horses.
Because it's not like you can put a little miniature horse out with a field of big horses because they would just-- they just don't mix very well, you know, because you get the big horses are afraid of the minis, and the minis don't know how small they are. And it was always kind of a recipe for possible disaster in that respect. So I had to tweak what I was already doing.
But then, I started working with her and I found out how smart she really was and how much she really wanted to learn. And because I think she couldn't go in with the big horses, how much she really kind of attached to me. And even today if I take her out to a big field with the other horses and all this and that, you can't make her stay out. She's like, you are not leaving me here. [LAUGHS]
She's just like, I am not a regular horse. Like, you can let me graze, and run, and frolic, and play with my friends, but I'm coming back with you. I'm like, OK, kid. And her training really started kind of blossoming also because I couldn't keep her where I kept putting her. She kept finding ways to get out and then being with the people. So after a while, I would stop trying and just let her be with us.
JOE ZESSKI: If you don't mind sharing, what kind of work does she do for you? People may not be familiar with the types of things mini horses can do.
JESSICA WELLMAN: So my mini is actually trained to do a lot of mobility-related tasks. So she'll actually pick up dropped objects, open and close doors, turn on and off lights. She'll do things like put laundry into the hamper, bring me the laundry from the hamper, put it into the dryer, take it out of the dryer, hand it to me to put it in the washing machine. She can open the refrigerator and retrieve a water if needed. There are so many things she does. She also does the typical heavy-duty mobility things like counterbalancing, bracing, momentum pulls. So she's really handy in that respect.
But also, horses in general are fantastic at doing other service work as well. For example, because they naturally sense glucose levels in grass, they are amazing and very quick to train for diabetic alert and response. They are also very in-tune to handler's heart rates. It's actually proven, there are studies done that show that a horse can detect a person's heart rate from four to six feet away. So they don't even have to be touching you to know what your heart rate is.
And then, you've also got the fact that-- there are a few factors, but they make amazing guide animals. And it all comes down to the way they're built. So because they're a flight animal, they tend to be a little more-- they tend to analyze situations a little more than a dog will. But they also have their eyes on the sides of their heads, which means they have a much wider range of vision than a dog does, which sets them up well for guide work.
JOE ZESSKI: I can imagine.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Definitely. And before we talk about Honey a little bit more, since you just mentioned the difference between the services that guide dogs can provide with the difference between miniature horse service animals. So clearly, they're providing different services. How is the training different?
JESSICA WELLMAN: The training, when it comes to the initial training, it's a little different because you're working, like I said, with a flight animal versus a predator. But really, when you really start out with a good, confident kind of an animal, it's really not too much different. I would say that you have to be-- I mean, I can't even say you have to be more wary of miniature horses, because any animal that you choose, you have to make sure that they have a solid temperament and that they're a little more on the confident side.
So I can't say it's more or less than with a horse versus a dog, but just starting out with a good base is always good to do. But then with the horses, you tend to have most people like them in halters. So you have to go through the same sort of leash manners with a horse that you do with a dog. You'll have to do things-- like with properly raised dogs, you have to get them used to different textures, and stimulations, and loud noises, and all the hustle and bustles that they're going to become accustomed to.
And for horses, we call that bomb proofing, which you'll see a lot of times that the service horses for the military-wise and not service like we're thinking, but the horses in the military, they all have to go through a lot of similar training as well to make sure that they have a horse with the proper temperament to be able to perform the work. It's funny because it's different, but it's really not that different. And it's all working with the animal that's in front of you.
JOE ZESSKI: How long does it take? It's pretty extensive training. How long are the different training processes for the mini-horses and for the service dogs?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Well, that really also depends on what you're training and what the dog's temperament is like as well. So you may have a-- if you have a miniature horse, if you're going to be trained in that animal to do mobility work, you really don't want to start mobility, like, really using a miniature horse for mobility until they hit between four and five years old.
You can start beginning the training, but they really should not be carrying weight on them until they're closer to five. And that's just because miniature horses take longer for their bones to actually fuse than dogs do. Some studies show that it can take up to seven years for the last growth plates to finally close.
So dogs, you can tend to start a little sooner, but you can't use the same sort of weight with them either. They can't accept the heavy, heavy duty weight that a miniature horse can. But miniature horses tend to do better because it's like once they have a job, and they know their job, they don't seem to need as many refreshers or reminders. It's like they know it. You could put them and just let them hang out for a month, and you come back and they're like, oh yeah, this is cool. Yeah, like, no big deal.
Dogs, we've found that we've needed to do a little more refreshers with throughout the working life of the animal just to keep them a little sharper. But, yeah, so I mean with other task training, it can take a lot-- it takes a lot less time because you're not requiring them necessarily for their physical maturity yet. If you're not going to be putting weight and pressure down on them, say a glucose animal could be ready in the two years versus the five years for really good solidly matured animals to be ready for mobility work.
But, I mean, two years, that's about what it takes for a dog as well from start to finish. Now, most of the time when you're talking about that, you're also starting with a puppy that has pretty much everything laid out for them the way they need it to. We've had some dogs that we actually pulled from rescues, and they were actually trained up in a matter of a couple of months because they were really great temperamented dogs.
They had really good confidence. They weren't overly bouncy or crazy. And all they needed to do was have somebody guide them for what they needed. They needed to learn. And we've had a couple of PTSD dogs that we've trained from the Humane Society down here, that they were in their homes working with their owners within three to four months. Now, we say that that's, like, real unicorn type situations because most of the time, it takes a lot more, but we have done it.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: So I was just going to ask, while we're still sort of talking about the comparative differences between dogs and miniature horses, what is the service lifespan of a mini-horse and what do they do in retirement? We've talked before with a guide dog trainer about how long guide dogs usually serve and then what they do in retirement. So I'm curious about miniature horses.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Well, it's really funny because miniature horses can live 30 to 40 years if they're kept up really well and they have good genetics and all of that. So, I mean, really, it's going to depend on the animal for when their retirement starts. And because we're such-- it's such a small group of people who are using the miniature horses for service animals, it really hasn't been super documented yet to when the actual working lifespan of a horse can be over.
And I say this, for example, I had my service dog that I had before Honey was fully trained. He worked until he was, I want to say, 12 years old because he was that type of dog. He has great health. And the only reason he had to stop working is because he started developing cataracts and went blind. And I actually still have him. He's 16 years old this year. Or next year, he'll be 17. And he's 16 this year.
They can live 30 to 40 years, and it's going to depend on the animal, the deterioration of the animal. There are some of them that develop health issues that you're going to have to retire them sooner, but in general, I think when it comes to it, if you consider a mobility animal anyway, starting their actual working career at maybe five years old, you could probably get a good 20 years out of them, if not more.
JOE ZESSKI: In terms of your organization, you mentioned your partner in the work, Stephanie, and you referred to it at different points along our conversation. Could you just talk a little bit more about what the organization is like? How do people find you if they want to work with you? What sort of services do you offer in terms of the training and costs involved? I know you train both dogs and miniature horses, but maybe if you could just provide people so they have a better sense of what Procyon does.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Sure. Yeah, I mean, we're very big on word of mouth. We get a lot of our clients from previous clients who suggest us to new people. And then we also do have social media. So a lot of people will also find us online and contact us in regards to training. And we've done everything where we get a puppy from a breeder and we start it from the ground up. We have people that come to us with a dog and we will actually do temperament testing and mock CGC and public access testing to see where their dogs are and if we think that they could possibly be a service animal.
And then, we also have people that are looking for a dog and that maybe one rescue or an older dog. And then we'll go through a few different rescues and see if we can find an animal that might fit the bill for the person that is interested in a service animal. And then we'll go through and we'll work everything the way we need to and we'll keep them updated.
And we let them know at any time in any of the animal's training, it's not guaranteed that it's going to work. The animal has to really be down for the type of training and the type of work that they're going to do because if the animal doesn't want to do it, it's not going to be a good fit, nor is it going to be successful. So we always let people know that. And then we try and work with them as best we can.
And when it comes to the miniature horses, we do a lot of the same things. We have breeders that we've worked with where we get the animals young and start them up that way. We've had a couple of them that we've trained that we were like, I don't think he's just going to make it as a service animal, whether it's because there might be a physical issue or it's just not something that they seem to really enjoy. So we kind of keep that in mind. And then, we also keep a working relationship with as many of our clients as we can just to try and keep offering them assistance throughout the life of their animal's working life.
JOE ZESSKI: How much does it cost for someone to work with you to get an animal trained or to get a service animal? A lot of times, people run into that issue of, well, I'd like a service animal. So, of course, under the ADA, people can individually train their animal, but that can be difficult. And a lot of people don't have the skills or the knowledge to know how to do that, so they go to organizations like yours or other ones, Seeing Eye who we referenced earlier in an earlier podcast interview. How much does it cost for the person who comes to you to get a service animal? Or do you help them find ways to pay for it?
JESSICA WELLMAN: We really like to try and help out as many people as we can, because a lot of times, these animals are lifelines. And they're not just a pet that people are paying a ton of money for. They're really there to help the person be able to live independently and live a life that's worth living. So we really do try to help. We do a lot of programs where we will actually donate dogs that are trained.
And then we also do help with-- we do a lot of help when they do own or train, trainer-assisted. So they come-- and a lot of them are in our area where they join us with our Zoom classes that we have, basically our online virtual training classes. And they'll come, and we'll do these classes. And they are training their dog. And we're just there to assist.
So those can range anywhere from, we do classes we do group classes that are an economical kind of a thing, and then we do all the way up to privates, and then all the way up to board and trains. So our board and train, it really just depends on the animal and where they're at to begin with. A finished animal, it could take two years. That could be $10,000 or more for a dog, about $1,215 for the horses, $1,000.
But a lot of times, we're really able to help people develop their own bond with their animal, which it's always stronger in the end when the person is able to do as much as the training themselves as they can. So, I mean, it really kind of depends on what they're looking for.
We also do a lot of what we call trainer started, owner finished, where we may get the dog for a few weeks and really instill kind of what we're looking for, and then we set the pet parents up and the people up with a really good regime to keep the training up and to keep moving forward. And then we'll continue meeting with them as they need us because it's about-- for us, it's about what the people need to help them and their animals succeed the most.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: It sounds like your entire business model just is so custom to the needs of the different people wanting service animals, so that's really good to hear.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Yeah, it really is. And like I said, we really try and help out as much as we can because, like I said, we do get a lot of people who, they can't necessarily afford the $15,000 service animal, but they really need the help, so that's when we try and work with them as best we can.
We also offer a lot of training advice online, especially with the miniature horses because there aren't as many of them are around. I have a miniature service horse group on Facebook and I keep an eye on it. And whenever anybody has questions, I try and go in and help them as much as I can. There are other people there that have miniature horses as service animals. So you can get some real nice support from people who are your peers.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: So and part of what I see you doing too is creating such a nice community, as you said, of service mini-horse owners. And so while we're talking about social media and Facebook, your mini-horse, Honey, has quite the social media presence. It's pretty cute. So can you tell us a little bit about what you hope to teach people by sharing your experiences on social media?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Yeah, sure. Honey, we have a Facebook and Instagram. She has a Twitter, but I'm pretty lacking with the Twitter. I'm not sure exactly how it works. I was never into Twitter. But I try and keep really up to date with the Facebook and Instagram. And then we also have a TikTok. And we're just trying to share what daily life is like with a miniature horse as a service animal.
Because I'm used to it. It's no big deal for me. But I know it's very, very different for many people. She just comes walking through the living room, and people are like, oh, my god. And I'm like, oh, yeah, that's Honey. Like, she lives here. It's cool.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Right
JOE ZESSKI: [LAUGHS]
JESSICA WELLMAN: So, yeah, we have those set up. People can come on and just see what a glimpse of life is like, if you will, and they can ask questions. And then, like I said, I have a Facebook group. It's called Miniature Horses as Service Animals. And that's a community group. It's got a few questions you have to answer to be able to join, just because a lot of people get confused between service and therapy.
And miniature horses are being used for therapy as well, which is amazing and super exciting, but it's not the same. So we're just trying to make sure people understand service horses have public access, but the therapy unfortunately do not unless they are specifically invited.
JOE ZESSKI: That's a great point. And actually, that's something we often hear about here at the Northeast ADA is people, just because they don't know otherwise, tend to blend therapy, emotional support animals, and service animals all together. And they're very different. They're different definitions. That's great that you do that.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Yeah, so we have that misconception a lot. And we always tell people because there's service, there's an emotional support, there is therapy, but then there's also therapy-assisted animals-- or animal-assisted therapists, which we also help train and also go through paces with. But it's amazing what animals can do that can really assist people.
But knowing the different sectors and what the walls are for each different entity, if you will. Emotional support animals don't have the rights. Service animals do, but have different rights than therapy animals. And it's all kind of like a stair system. And you have to know which set of stairs you need to be on to be successful.
JOE ZESSKI: Definitely. I do need to ask. Grace mentioned Honey's social media presence. And as someone using a miniature horse as a service animal, I imagine from time to time you probably have run into a situation where something is just memorable, or unique, or funny when you've taken Honey into public places. Could you share maybe one story of something that sticks out in your mind about your experiences as someone as a service animal handler with Honey?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Probably one of the funniest ones was we actually flew from Florida up to New York. We were guests, actually, on The Dr. Oz Show to, again, talk about service animals. And when we were getting ready to fly, it was really difficult making the arrangements, because this was right before the ACAA had changed the laws. And it was actually right in that real slim, narrow moment where they said, horses have to be allowed.
So it was really funny because the airline-- we flew through Delta to get up and back. And they had the hardest time visualizing, I guess is the best word I can say, about how this would work. And I was like, no, she's a miniature horse. And they're like, but she's a horse. I'd be like, yeah, but she's miniature, like, don't think big. So they were like, well, you can come, but you might not be able to fly.
And they kept just-- it was days that they told us this. And we're like, well, if we can't fly, I guess we can't fly, right? So, I mean, we got the tickets, and I'm pretty sure we can fly, so I think you just need to see her. So it took us coming in, and they actually-- the head of Delta met us at the entrance of the parking garage to the airport and walked us the whole way. They were so sweet and so kind. They were just kind of gobsmacked when they saw her. And they were like, I didn't understand. And I'm like, yeah, I know, it's kind of difficult to really get it until you see it.
So they bought us some drinks, and we went in. And they were like, do you mind if we just take her on and practice? I was like, yeah, that's not a problem. So they had actually brought the plane in early and had it completely emptied and cleaned out and ready to go for us to be able to practice what was going to happen with the flight staff before anybody else was at the gate. So that was a lot of fun. Very amusing.
We got in position and all this and that. And they looked at everything. And we all chatted and talked about any concerns that there might have been and found out what a good course of action was going to be. And everything was going great. And they ushered us back off so they could continue getting ready for the rest of the passengers to board.
And it kills me because when we came back, they had left us a little goodie bag of like-- because we were talking about how she likes Graham crackers and things like that. They left us this little baggie of just different cookies and oatmeal treats for her for when we flew. And it was just the cutest thing. It was so sweet.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Aw.
JESSICA WELLMAN: But we also-- because when we flew, we made sure to buy enough seats to take up the amount of room she needed so that she does not-- the worst thing would be for an animal to go into somebody else's space and on an airplane. Like, that's not cool. So we bought enough space to accommodate her size, and in doing that, we basically bought out a row, so three seats in business class. And we were right at the very front of it. And it was funny because it was two people, a service miniature horse, and a service dog all tucked into that little row. And it went great.
JOE ZESSKI: That's awesome.
JESSICA WELLMAN: But it was just so funny. It was so great getting to go over it with them.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: My favorite image of that story is you and Honey just sitting at the airport bar waiting for the plane to roll in.
JESSICA WELLMAN: (AMUSED) Yeah. Yeah, we were just hanging out and waiting. And then the funniest thing too is we finally arrived up in New York and we're walking through the air terminal, and everybody, you know, oh, my gosh, it's a horse! Oh, my god! And they're doing that. And we're like, oh, my god, there's a pigeon in the airport!
[LAUGHTER]
And she's blown away by the mini-horse, and we were blown away by the pigeon. We're like, sir, you need to be accompanied by an adult at all times, pigeon.
[LAUGHTER]
They see a pigeon and they're like, oh, whatever, you know, pigeons. We see the horse and we're like, whatever, horse.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Oh, my goodness. Well, thank you so much for sharing that story and all of your amazing miniature horse knowledge with us. So as we start to wrap up, where should listeners go to learn more about Procyon and the work that you do?
JESSICA WELLMAN: Oh, sure. No problem. So Procyon, our training site-- we have a website, procyontraining.com. But we also have a Facebook and an Instagram that we are also very active on that's @ProcyonTraining, once again, on Facebook and Instagram. And then there's-- like I said, there's all of Honey's things. So they can pretty much just type in @ProcyonTraining or @ServiceHorseHoney, and then we'll pop up, one way or another.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Excellent.
JOE ZESSKI: That is wonderful. And, again, we started out with Jessica, just thank you for taking the time to join us today. It has been such a great conversation and so much appreciated on our end. Thank you for taking the time to be with us.
JESSICA WELLMAN: Sure thing. Of course. It was an honor to get to talk with you guys.
JOE ZESSKI: Grace, thank you too for joining me and livening things up on the podcast joining me. I do appreciate that.
GRACE FAIRCHILD: Oh, absolutely.
JOE ZESSKI: And for those listening, as always, remember, you can always visit us at www.northeastada.org. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, all the social medias. And, of course, you can also contact us as well as your local ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232. Thank you for listening today. We'll be back next time with more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related issues. Thank you for joining us, and let's continue the conversation.