Local News in Brief : Owner of Tiny Horse Pleads Not Guilty

A Thousand Oaks woman who is keeping a miniature horse in her tract home pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two counts of violating the municipal code.

Patty Fairchild, 33, entered the plea in Simi Valley Municipal Court before Judge Bruce A. Clark. Her attorney, Irene L. Server, said Fairchild does not deny keeping Ragtime, a 27-inch-high American miniature horse, on less than the 12,000 square feet of property required by city code.

“Our position is Ragtime is a pet and shouldn’t be subject to this particular ordinance,” Server said.

If convicted, Fairchild faces a $100 fine plus an added penalty of about $60.

The Thousand Oaks City Council refused to grant Fairchild an exemption from zoning laws that ban farm animals from most residential neighborhoods.

Fairchild’s trial is scheduled for Sept. 1 in Ventura County Municipal Court.