Step One - Deciding On The Mounted Unit's Mission.

You are probably a horse lover and therefore see the horse in all its positive images. Unfortunately, horses are extremely expensive in a broad range of catagories, particularly when used for police operations.

Therefore, step one is to decide what this unit will do. Here a list of possible mounted unit missions:

Law Enforcement - Mounted Patrol Services:

Horse patrol has a rich history in many urban cities. Boston, New York City, Detroit, San Francisco are a few of major cities with horse patrol in place before 1900. In my research I have been contacted by many international law enforcement officers that use horses as part of police services.

How will the horses be deployed? Paved street patrol is much different from park or beach patrol. A working horse will require watering, feed and maintanence will "on patrol" much like a cavalry horse on campaign.

Seasons and weather will influence horses and riders. If you have cold & snowy winters. The breed of horse will therefore be very important if there are wide variances in climate. I'm sure you know more about horse breeds than I ever will, but my research shows the horse must be able to work year-round, in order to justify it's expenses. Parades and public events are good, but a true police horse is like a Canine Unit - only a horse is easily 3 times as expensive to maintain.

Defining The Horse Mounted Patrol Mission: (Click on the Area of Interest for More Details)

Full-time Patrol Assignment comparable to a foot or radio car police "Beat".
Part-Time Specialized Patrol. This model uses horses and riders for seasonal, special events, crowd control, or directed enforcement missions.
Reserve Police Units can be a valuable assistance to full-time patrol deployment.
Specialized Wilderness Or Wildlands Patrol. In evironmentally sensitive and protected areas, the horse provides a mode of mobility that cannot be replicated in any other form of transportation.

Law Enforcement - Mounted Officers in Detention and Corrections. Supervising and guarding prisoners in field and outdoor work assignments.

Search and Rescue, Mounted SARS Tracking of Lost Persons. Search and rescue horse units have a wide variety of uses that compliment all public safety interests.
Ceromonies, Public Relations and Community Relations. The police equiped horse and their stoward uniformed rider present a formitable icon for all people universally.
What will be the MISSION OF YOUR UNIT?

Mounted Police Services

Horse patrol has a rich history in many urban cities. Boston, New York City, Detroit, San Francisco are just a few of major American cities with horse patrol in place before 1900. In my research I have been contacted by many international law enforcement officers that use horses as part of police services.

How will the horses be deployed? Paved street patrol is much different from park or beach patrol. A working horse will require watering, feed and maintanence will "on patrol" much like a cavalry horse on campaign.

Seasons and weather will influence horses and riders. If you have cold & snowy winters. The breed of horse will therefore be very important if there are wide variances in climate. I'm sure you know more about horse breeds than I ever will, but my research shows the horse must be able to work year-round, in order to justify it's expenses. Parades and public events are good, but a true police horse is like a Canine Unit - only a horse is easily 3 times as expensive to maintain.

Defining The Mounted Horse Patrol Mission:

Full-time mounted patrol assignment comparable to a foot or radio car. A standard police beat system and shift assignment is normal deployment. Typical beat areas are urban retail and resturant districts, parks, beaches, tourists attractions, and large parking areas such as malls. Getting the horse, rider and equipment to and from beat areas can be an expense element of operating this unit. The long established mounted units have stables in, or close, to their assigned beat area. This patrol mission is the most expensive in all asspects of a mounted unit.

Part-Time Specialized Mounted Police Patrol. This model uses horses and riders for seasonal, special events, crowd control, or directed enforcement missions. The horse unit is used as a tactical service to take advantage of the superior qualities a horse offers beyond foot, motorized or radio car police operations. Part-time units present special problems of horse and rider training, on-going maintanence of the horse and the equipment, and readiness of horse and rider to respond must be addressed.

Reserve Mounted Police Units can be a valuable assistance to full-time patrol deployment. Reserve units have shown good results by patroling bicycle paths, horse riding trails, and an augmentation of police service in non-tactical operations.

Specialized Wilderness Or Wildlands Mounted Law Enforcement Patrol. In evironmentally sensitive and protected areas, the horse provides a mode of mobility that cannot be replicated in any other form of transportation. The image of a lone Northwest Mounted Policeman or Campaign Hatted Forest Ranger twangs a nostalgic note of this unique police service. I've asked these officers about transporting prisoners arrested during these patrols and received some very interesting answers. What would U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn do in this situation?

Law Enforcement - Mounted Officers in Detention and Corrections:

Supervising and guarding prisoners in field and outdoor work assignments on horseback gives an officer advantages in field of view and ability to work in torrain motorized vehicles would not work. Trusting inmates to care for and service horses may be a false economy.


Search and Rescue, Mounted SARS Tracking:

Search and rescue horse units have a wide variety of uses. A rider on horseback has excellent position of observation, can move through narrow areas where vehicles can't operate and can carry more rescue equipment than foot searchers. Horse SARS unit work well in rough, hilly and mountainous environments when the riders are trained and disciplined.

A number of SARS units work simultanously and effectively with specialized dog units.


Mounted Police Squads Ceremonies, Public Relations and Community Relations:

The police equiped horse and their stoward uniformed rider present a formitable icon for all people universally. Images of the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, a mounted color guard, or a burial cassion are moving sights with powerful implications.

Horse units are renouned for appeal to childern and adults. Horse officers are often the center of attention at public social events and "routine" patrol. Nearly everyone loves a horse.

This will be the most difficult sole reason justification for a mounted unit. The common model here is reserve police, posses, and parade units where the horse is equiped, trained, maintained and ridden by a volunteer.


What will be the MISSION OF YOUR MOUNTED UNIT?