unit this size (ten horses) costs about the same to operate as one cruiser automobile. Ten there is the appeal factor — people like them! When asked whether handling the horse at the same time that an arrest is being made interferes with normal police work in any way, the sergeant explains, “Not at all. Arrests are made nearly every time a mounted policeman goes out and all arrests are done from the saddle. Te details of how this works and the necessary training of horse and rider are complex, but very effective.” Does mounted police work endanger the horses? “No more
Tennessee Walking Horses, which means that I didn’t really know anything at all about riding.” In 1994 he began a two-year on-the-job- training period with a mounted policeman who had served in the Queen’s
Household Guard, which enabled him to learn classical military riding and horsemanship. In 1997, he assisted the commander of the Jacksonville, Florida, mounted unit in teaching horses and officers how to be mounted pairs. Now he has become a full-service teacher himself, performing all the tasks needed that include selecting horses, training horses and riders in police work, and overseeing the care, veting, shoeing and feeding of the horses. He can even nail on a thrown shoe and is equally proficient in tack fiting and use. When asked what sort of horse is ideal for the task, “Big,
bold, bay boys!” replies the sergeant with a laugh. He adds that the proper horse must also be naturally very alert and “active,” yet able to remain constantly on the aids for reasons of safety and efficacy. He chooses only Toroughbreds and Warmbloods, as these are the animals that perform the police work the best, just as in the military days. Police horses are extremely useful because of several unique
advantages that they provide to an officer, including the ability to intimidate, extreme mobility in unusual setings as well as a special higher vantage point for the mounted officer to see and hear. Mounted police are also more easily visible from afar by citizens in need of immediate assistance. In terms of crowd control, one horse-officer pair translates to
the same impact as ten officers on foot, says Sgt. Laster. A horse that will piaffe has special value, as the stamping of steel upon pavement has an effect on a potentially unruly crowd that has no equal. Te beter the horse is trained, the more effective he is, so the horse’s training goes on constantly, and the sergeant is the chief trainer of every horse in his unit. Mounted police units have been proven to be very effective.
National statistics indicate a 65 percent decrease in crime where they are regularly used. As to the expense, the facility used for a
than pleasure riding does,” he replies. No horse has ever been purposely injured by a person being apprehended during Sgt. Laster’s career thus far. It goes without saying that police horses receive excellent care. Te sergeant encourages horse enthusiasts to check out mounted patrol units that might be in their vicinity.
Sarasota’s Shining Star So what about the Trakehner Hooligan? First, according to Sgt. Laster, his name had to change and he jests that no miscreants may serve in the Sheriff’s Department! Hooligan was quickly renamed Legacy, a name that could not have been more appropriate. As it turned out, Legacy was a natural in his new career and has proudly lived up to his name. Sgt. Laster boasts that in their unit Legacy is the favorite horse, and the best, and he will be entered in the next Florida Police and Fire Games (
www.lawgames. org), where the sergeant has gold medaled in the past. A police horse’s job
does include occasional parade and “show” work but on closer inspection, a normal work day for them is amazingly similar to cavalry use. Legacy was used for crowd control at the Republican National Convention
this past summer, has policed the Florida Football Classic in Orlando, worked county fairs and fireworks displays, does beach patrol regularly and can even do radar speed controls and arrests. Sgt. Laster reports that Legacy loves his work, and the men and women in his unit are incredibly fond of him. Tis big, bold, bay Trakehner now known as Legacy
represents a living legacy of the original, traditional cavalry horse and, in doing so, he demonstrates the special and unique result of 250 years of selective breeding.
Top leſt two photos: Mounted officers of the Sarasota, Florida, County Sheriff’s Dept. Above: Sgt. Chris Laster and Legacy. Photos above courtesy Sarasota, Florida County Sheriff’s Department.
SPECIAL TRKEHNER SECTION Warmbloods Today 61
American Trakehner Association
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