control experts. While the horses have their role of meeting and greeting the capital’s tourists, they also greet protesters. Washington, D. C. is forty percent national park land. “We have the most green space of any city in the country,” says Mariea who has been a police officer for 25 years. “And D.C. probably has the most protests going on of any city in the country.” Mariea speaks of the psychological advantage of a
mounted officer. “City people are afraid of horses. They don’t understand them and that works to our advantage. They think that like a dog, if the horse makes eye contact he will attack them. Their size also intimidates. We place our horses for that advantage,” she says describing the scene many of us have seen where the horses in a line stand side by side, calm but formidable, matching the powerful image of their riders wearing face shields. “We stage them so people can’t touch the horses, but
we are in plain sight, waiting.” In part, the size requirement for park police horses
is to ensure that line up will be impressive. Required to be at least 15.3 hands, they will be carrying officers and equipment. “Even 15.3 horses should be pretty brave and tough at that size. I’m 5’ 9 and when I put on a gun belt, I can’t be riding a weedy horse,” she says. “We want uniformity. It’s like if an officer shows up at your door in a wrinkled sloppy uniform. It gives a certain impression.” Criteria for police horses fit Spirit perfectly. He has the
size, but also the good mind. It is helpful if the horses have had trail experience and that is probably the reason that not too many Warmbloods serve in law enforcement. However, most important is how the horse reacts to new experiences. “If he loses his mind at every new experience, I don’t want that horse. I don’t care if he’s Grand Prix level.” Spirit’s park service training began at the Edgewater
Stables facility, which consists of indoor and outdoor arenas, 25 box stalls, turn outs and three full time instructors. Twenty-three horses are housed at Edgewater and the remainder at the five patrol barns. During his 90 day evaluation, he was checked for soundness and mental stability. Since Mariea regularly takes dressage lessons from Spirit’s former trainer, she knew a lot about him. But with other horses that are donated, she needs to find out what they know about the leg and connection before they move to the big wide world outside the arena. The next step for Spirit was a ride through the 19 miles
of equestrian trails in Rock Creek Park. “His first ride was a little dicey in a snaffle bit. He can ignore the snaffle. He doesn’t sprint and take off, but when he gets rolling, he figures ‘lets stay at this gait.’ He had to learn he’s not the one in charge.” To amp up the training, Mariea rode him through a quiet neighborhood so he could become accustomed to cars. From there they rode to Georgetown to introduce him to ambulances and fire trucks and lots of people. He was a
22 March/April 2012
“Last year he attended his first Fourth of July celebration. He wasn’t a fan of the initial boom from the fireworks, but the crowds were not a problem for him.”
star. “But he is a horse, after all. A few days ago on his walk through Georgetown he didn’t like the whining of chain saws as men cut down huge trees. He jigged and became tense but then he settled and got over it.” Mariea is a strong rider with good horse instincts who has put her dressage training into her police work. The horses are taught dressage movements for the purpose of their police work, not for show. “We have a system for working a horse through and past obstacles. Let’s say there is a black bag of trash that is blowing in the wind and the horse can’t identify it. Some want to face it and back away and then side step past it. If
you’re in an alley, it’s no big deal. I may take it as a training opportunity and walk him up to it. But if you’re going down M Street in Georgetown and that bag is on your right side and your horse’s butt is in the curb lane, you’ll find yourself in the middle lane of traffic in no time.” She continues, “You do a shoulder-in away from the
obstacle. With Spirit, as soon as I say I want some kind of movement off my leg or a dressage movement, he concentrates on getting that right and forgets the object. I may not take a training opportunity if the surrounding traffic will kill me. It depends on my safety and other people’s safety.” Warmbloods in the service have proved to be great at
PR. They really are good about walking downtown and receiving attention and pets from the public. Spirit is also a super lesson horse built for teaching lateral movements and canter seat to police officers beginning their work with horses. “I’m a little selfish. I like riding him. Part of my job is to find the horses forever homes when they retire. Spirit and his Thoroughbred buddy will retire with me.”
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