| In the world of law enforcement, a horse and a | | | | In the meantime, make sure that your riding skills are |
| human make a winning team. The most famous | | | | at their best. In mounted police work there is an |
| mounted police officer may be Dudley Do-Right, a | | | | emphasis on training for both the horse and the rider, |
| cartoon Canadian Mountie featured on Rocky and | | | | and those with better equestrian ability will have an |
| Bullwinkle shows, but in real life there are police | | | | edge over the competition. The training program for |
| forces all over the globe that rely on horses to get | | | | police horses is generally more intensive than that for |
| the job done. Australia's New South Wales Mounted | | | | the police officers, as the animals must be |
| Police is the oldest continuous mounted police force in | | | | desensitized to street life and its ever-changing |
| the world, established back in the 1800's and still riding | | | | physical obstacles, loud noises, and sudden |
| today. Horses offer unique advantages to police | | | | movements. Once a horse and rider have been |
| work, such as an ability to go where vehicles can't, | | | | trained to perform police work together, the officer |
| and their sheer physical presence discourages many | | | | is usually responsible for taking care of both the |
| would-be criminals. | | | | animal and its equipment, so there is an added |
| | | | | benefit of sharing a strong, consistent emotional |
| If you're a horse lover who's interested in a career in | | | | attachment. |
| law enforcement, consider a job as a mounted police | | | | |
| officer, but remember that you'll have to be patient. | | | | If you're a horse lover who respects law |
| You must first become a police officer, and you'll | | | | enforcement but doesn't want to be an officer, |
| probably have to spend considerable time, perhaps | | | | remember that police forces need people to train the |
| years, on the regular force before you can apply for | | | | horses, as well as the officers who handle them. Find |
| work as a mounted officer. Even highly urbanized | | | | out if the police force near you uses in-house or |
| areas such as New York City have mounted police | | | | outsourced trainers, and then volunteer your services |
| forces, but horses and job vacancies may be limited. | | | | or apply for a job as an apprentice to develop the |
| Because of the expenses involved in purchasing and | | | | necessary skills. Simply knowing how to ride isn't |
| maintaining horses, most police forces rely on | | | | enough to perform mounted police work or to train |
| donations of horses, so direct your police career | | | | others for that work. You must also communicate |
| toward a location with enough horses to support | | | | well and have great patience, and that's true whether |
| your goals. | | | | you're working with a horse or a human. |
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