NCJ Number
119193
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1989) Pages: 55-57
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The National Mounted Training Group in Sparkhill, N.Y. has developed a program that trains mounted officers and their horses in a program that could benefit any mounted unit but that has special appeal to units that are too small to have a formal training program of their own.
Abstract
A recent program in Wyoming exemplifies the approach used. Much of the class time was spent on riding skills, but the training was related in every way to street policing. Even the lecture sessions were done while on a horse, because an officer will be mounted during most of the time on duty. Both the horse and the rider need to get used to sitting and standing still for long periods. Training consisted of both team techniques and individual officer tactics. Teams with 2 to 10 officers were used for crowd control, while scenario training placed individual officers and two-person teams in a variety of realistic policing situations. The school emphasized that the horse is a valuable partner, both for public relations and as a weapon. A mounted officer is also more visible and can cover a larger area than an officer on foot. The training is also standardized so that several separate units can work together as a large team. Photographs.