Police on Horseback

The cops everyone wants to talk to!

Since at least 1909, (and probably before that as well), Winnipeg has used horses in the Police Force.

In the late 80’s the Downtown BIZ approached the Police Service to participate in a revived mounted unit.

In 1990 the unit began patrolling in the summer months, on the weekends only with a horse called Jasper John ridden by Constable Darryl Brown.

Today the Mounted Patrol operates 365 days a year in Winnipeg.

The horses can handle -30 ºC, but the humans can’t!

In the winter the horses grow a thick shaggy coat, which unfortunately does not transfer any heat to the rider. People think that it would be warm sitting on the horses, but it isn’t.

Constables A. Proskurnik and S. Blunden are the friendly face of the force on horseback.

They don’t often meet up with bad behaviour; when people see the horses they only do two things, run towards them to say hello, or run away yelling “horses!”.

The Winnipeg Police Force Mounted Unit (mounted means "on horses" people!)

Unfortunately, the Winnipeg Police announced on March 9 2012 that the Horse Patrol will no longer be in the budget.

From the CBC news:

“The horse patrol, a fall recruit class and the purchase of new motorcycles have all been chopped from the Winnipeg police service budget.

Police Chief Keith McCaskill told the city’s protection and community services Friday morning the moves are part of a $1-million expense reduction.

They must still, however, be approved by council at a March 20 meeting.

Shutting down the horse unit and reassigning the assets will save $20,000, while postponing the motorcycle purchase will save $27,000, McCaskill said.

Two service centres will also close, saving $60,000 in the first year and $150,000 in subsequent years.

The biggest savings will come from the cancelled recruit class, which will avoid an expense of $652,000, plus $72,000 in clothing.

The possibility of losing the horse patrol was raised in mid-February, when the police service had been told to find significant savings.

Union head Mike Sutherland said at the time that it would be a “shame” to lose a good community-building program like that.

Last year the police bicycle patrol was cut in a cost-saving measure.”

Amaro (and Titus) were named in a contest in 2008 to name the Police Horses

Constables Proskurnik on Titus and Blunden on Amaro

Titus and Amaro are half brothers born in Saskatchewan in 2002.

They are Percheron/Thoroughbred geldings and have grown up together.

In 1998 Winnipeg had four horses on part time duty, but now there are only two.

The horses are trained to keep their cool under all circumstances

The Winnipeg Mounted Police unit makes people smile wherever they go. Horses are friendly!

People are always honking and waving at the Police on horseback!

Five minutes won't go by without someone taking a picture of the horses

The horses are trained to deal with city noises and large trucks rumbling by

Wherever they stop, crowds will gather and want to pet the horses.

The mounted Police unit is the friendliest face of the Force

Out at the farm near Bird’s Hil, where Titus and Amaro are kept, there are many animals.

Chloe the pig is always looking for food

Titus and Amaro are also called "big guy" and "little guy" by Anna and Sherri

The nice Manitoba Ranch where The Police Horses are kept

The Ranch cat makes sure everything is OK

The hooves must be cleaned

The prevailing thought used to be that horses needed to be shod with metal shoes for traction on pavement and for protection from damage. The zeitgeist is changing. Winnipeg’s Police Horses go “barefoot” now. It has been realized that driving nails into horses hooves causes unnecessary damage, and the horses have adequate traction on all surfaces without any help from man made shoes.

Quincy, another horse on the ranch, has a nice winter coat

A pudgy donkey

Another fat goat. They eat everything

"Groundwork" is needed to keep the relationship between horse and rider firm

This is the signal for "come to me"

Plastic bags are used to desensitize the horse to random things possibly flying at it, so it may remain calm in a city environment

Amaro likes to kick the large ball around

The speakers in the practice room play a "spook less tape" which is a track of sounds so the horses can get used to random noises. Marching bands, truck gates banging, helicopters, children screaming. Once the horses get used to hearing the sounds, they won't get upset when it really happens

Years of training go into preparing a horse and rider for duty. One can not put any human on any horse and think they can go into the world and hold it together.

If the rider stays calm, the horse will stay calm. (horses often freak out at little things like papers blowing in the wind, car horns, or bicycles)

Civilian Jill takes a bareback ride on Quincy

Miss Piggy is one of the oldest horses around. She is 28

Official Winnipeg Police service balloons are used in the training of the horses. To let them get used to random motion the balloons are bounced around them until they stop being fearful and get bored.