A miniature horse named Freckle Butt Fred recently had the pleasure of flying first class for the first time thanks to his human companion, Ronica Froese.

The 115-pound equine embarked on his inaugural plane ride across the United States on Feb. 7, flying from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Ontario, California with a stopover at the Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport, Froese tells PEOPLE.

As a specially trained service animal, Fred is technically allowed to accompany Froese — who owns Little Horses Big Smiles, a company that specializes in equine assisted therapy — on commercial flights.

Froese says she and Fred worked with other service horse handlers to prepare for the big trip, including sonic exercises to get the gentle creature accustomed to loud noises and potty training for when he needs to relieve himself at the airport.

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According to Froese, Fred now knows how to defecate on command and pee on astroturf found in most pet relief areas.

“Fred was the definition of a perfect service animal in flight,” she tells PEOPLE. “He is so bonded with me, he is willing to do anything I ask of him.”

To ensure Fred had plenty of room during his ride, Froese purchased two first class tickets in bulkhead seating and made sure that each flight was no longer than three hours. Fred also wore special shoes for horses and stood on a yoga mat placed on the floor so he had enough traction to stable himself during take-off and landing.

As to accommodate other passengers, Fred wore a teal hood so that those who are allergic to horses would not be affected by his hair.

“He has rode probably 10,000 miles in my truck so flying was a breeze,” Froese says. “I have trained him to lay down on command and sit it my lap like a dog in the event the plane crashed so we could evacuate down the slide. Luckily, we didn’t have to see if that training was a success.”

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