Two New Police Horses Acquired for NRPS Mounted Unit

On March 22, 2008, the members of the Niagara Regional Police Mounted unit selected two police service horse candidates for consideration. The first horse, known as “Number One”, came from a dealer, in Listowell, Ontario. The second horse, known as "Number Two", came from a private purchase from a contact in Toronto.

(Above) Police Service Horse "BROCK"

The first horse is a 17-hand-high purebred Percheron gelding, and was born on January 14, 2003 in Schoolcraft, Michigan. He is registered with the Canadian Percheron Association.

(Above) Police Service Horse "JUNO"

The second horse is also a purebred Percheron gelding, 17.1-hands-high, born on April 18, 2002, in Hilbert, Wisconsin.

Both horses weigh around 1650 lbs, and continue to fill out and muscle up with their training. Because the Percheron is a draft horse, the training process is aided by the naturally cool disposition attributed to the breed.

Upon initial inspection, the officers determined that the horses were suitable for assessment. The period of assessment was to be thirty (30) days.

On March 25, 2008 the Mounted unit began assessment of the horses. The assessment included physical and mental exercises, both on ground and in saddle. The horses were exposed to grooming (by hoof pick, brush, hose, vacuum, and the Anivac Animal Bathing System ), ground work (including driving, circling, yielding, flexion, and other exercises) and sensory orientation including the crowd control ball. The horses were also ridden in country, brush, trail, light urban (Stevensville), and medium urban (Crystal Beach) environments. The horses were exposed to traffic on rural and city roads, including transport trucks, motorcycles, and construction equipment. The horses were also waded up to the chest in water in both lakes, rivers, and streams.

The thirty-day assessment period passed on April 25, and on all accounts the horses were found to have suitable potential to begin the Police Service Horse training regimen.

The horses are now undergoing continued training, including equitation in the area, obstacle courses and sensory orientation in the corral, the roundpen, and out on the streets of the Niagara Region's cities. They are expected to be brought into service sometime in July 2008.