How is it that your horse gets jittery at the slightest of distractions while police horses endure noise, crowds and extreme commotion, often in the bustle of a large city?
Don’t worry, it’s not your horse and it’s not you. Those specially trained police horses are in the minority. In most police horse training programs, only 10 percent of them are found to make the cut and be suitable for such work. Here’s a look inside the programs that make those horses become equine’s finest.
Finding the right horse is just as important as the training. Often trainers look for older horses who have had other jobs first, then turn them into police horses. Some of them could be former race horses or performance horses whose minor physical issues limit them from competing but don’t prevent them from serving in the force. Trainers especially look for the mental capacity to handle the work and environment: traffic jams, sirens, gunfire, large crowds, or bands performing.
Officers have to mount and dismount fast, but they also need a horse that makes a strong presence in large crowds. Quarter horses are popular because they can be found anywhere in America, and they’re known for their easy gait, smooth nature and flexibility. No matter what horse is selected to assist police, it’s the mental capacity to handle the training that counts – not to mention the ability to handle non-horse people who have little riding experience.
To get these horses ready, desensitization clinics are held. They consist of obstacle courses that involve riding through loud noises, items on the ground, walking over tarps and grates, through narrow alleys and even through burning hay stacks. Police horses can see it all, and this trains them to safely handle unusual and unpredictable environments – by exposing them to nearly any situation imaginable. Training clinics can last up to four months or longer.
Riders need to go through the clinics, as well. Any avid horse rider knows that trust is a key component in the horse-human relationship. As such, not all police officers can be accepted. They must have a personality that’s suitable for animals and they must be in excellent physical shape. Sometimes they’ll even attend refresher courses. After all, these horses are working animals, not pets.
Experienced, everyday horse riders can learn a thing or two from police horses. Perhaps you could conduct some mini-training of your own in order to better expose your horse to obstacles in your environment. That will allow him to see that people and things aren’t out to harm him, and he’ll better handle surprise situations.
All of it will help you gain new appreciation for those special animals who help to enforce the law.
