Mounted police

The French Maréchaussée—direct predecessors of the gendarmerie and the first national police force in a modern sense—were a corps of completely mounted constabulary from their establishment in the early 18th century.M. Petard, "Le cavalier de la maréchaussée", pages 22-27 "Uniformes" nr 85 Album 12 Poor roads and extensive rural areas made horse-mounted police a necessity in European states until the early 20th century.

The establishment of organized law-enforcement bodies throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas during the colonial and post-colonial eras made the concept of predominantly horse-police accepted almost world-wide.Michael Roth "Mounted Police Forces: a comparative history", pages 707-719 Vol 21 "Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management" Notable examples include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,{{cite book |first=David |last=Ross |pages=5–6 |title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873-1987 |date=24 March 1988 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-834-X}} the Mexican Rurales,{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Abbott |pages=[https://archive.org/details/disorderprogress00vand/page/47 47–48] |title=Disorder and Progress: Bandits, Police and Mexican Development |year=1992 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=0-8420-2439-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/disorderprogress00vand/page/47 }} the Rhodesian British South Africa Police,{{cite book |first=David |last=Ross |pages=35–36 |title=Modern African Wars (1): Rhodesia |date=15 June 1986 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-728-9}} the Turkish/Cypriot ZapitehIllustrated London News, June 26, 1897 and the caballeria (mounted branch) of the Spanish Civil Guard.{{cite book|first=Jose|last=Bueno|pages=46, 70 & 74|title=La Guardia Civil, su historia, organizacion y sus uniformes|year=1989|publisher=Aldaba Ediciones |isbn=84-86629-34-9}}

File:Horse saddle and cloth WP Police ACC rank.jpg

Tack used by mounted police is similar to standard riding tack, with adaptations for police use. Synthetic saddles are often favored over those made of natural leather to reduce weight, important both because of long riding hours and because police officers must carry numerous articles of personal equipment. High-traction horseshoes made of speciality metals or fitted with rubber soles are typically used in urban areas in place of standard steel horseshoes, which are prone to slip on pavement. Rubber soled shoes also produce less noise than steel shoes and jar the hoof less.

Horses working in riot control wear facial armor, made of perspex so that the animals can still see. The officers themselves are often equipped with especially long wooden or polycarbonate batons for use on horseback, as standard patrol batons would have insufficient length to strike individuals at ground level.

{{Main|List of mounted police units}}

Australia, being a large country and not densely populated, commonly used mounted police in order to traverse the country side. All of the Mounted police units were formed in the 19th century and have continued to this day, excepting Tasmania.File:The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia - panoramio (118).jpg on patrol in Sydney.]]

• The New South Wales Mounted Police is a mounted section of the New South Wales Police Force, and the oldest continuous mounted group in the world,[http://www.policensw.com/info/gen/u7.html Mounted Police] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219093317/http://www.policensw.com/info/gen/u7.html |date=2011-02-19 }} at 'Thin Blue Line' unofficial NSW police site. formed on 7 September 1825. Currently they have a strength of 36 officers and around 38 mounts and their duties include traffic and crowd management, patrols, and ceremonial protocol duties.{{Cite web|url=http://www.norepublic.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4110&Itemid=65|title = Australians for Constitutional Monarchy}}
• The "Mounted Branch", or The Victorian Police Mounted Branch was formed in 1838 as the Mounted Police Fifth Division which consisted of soldiers from infantry regiments. The Unit has 26 officers and more than 20 mounts.
• The Western Australian Mounted Police Branch was formed in 1834 and continues operation to this day.{{Cite web |last=Police |first=Western Australia |date=2023-08-30 |title=Our History |url=https://www.police.wa.gov.au/About-Us/Our-history |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=Western Australia Police |language=en}} It is the second oldest Mounted police Branch in the world after that of New South Wales.
• The Mounted Police of the South Australian Police force, known as "The Greys" due to the fact they only use grey horses, dates back to the start of the state's police force when it was originally formed of half mounted and half foot police, in 1838.{{Cite web |last=Fanning |first=Graeme |title=Weekend Notes - South Australian Police Historical Society Museum |url=https://www.weekendnotes.com/south-australian-police-historical-society-museum/}} The Mounted police also used Camels up until 1951.
• Tasmanian Police used horses for riding and to pull sleds through Alpine (high country) territory in Winter. Both sleds {{Cite news |date=2016-04-14 |title=Harness the power of your pooch with sled dog boot camp |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/sled-dog-racing-in-tasmania-boot-camp/7325640 |access-date=2023-09-13}} and horses were dropped in favour of motorbikes, when the Police department purchased 84 departmentally owned motorcycle and sidecar units during late 1935 early 1936.
• The Northern Territory Police has a mounted unit, which dates back to the late 19th century.

File:North West Mounted Police 1897.jpg constable next to his horse in Alberta, Canada, 1897]]

Mounted police units were used in Canada during the 19th century to carry out peace officer duties across vast and sparsely inhabited areas. The predecessors to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Royal North-West Mounted Police, relied on using mounted riders from its inception in 1873 to carry out their policing duties across the Prairies. These mounted police were frequently the only government officials in the area.{{cite web|url=https://rcmp.ca/en/corporate-information/musical-ride/history-rcmp-musical-ride|website=rcmp.ca|publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|access-date=3 November 2024|date=5 July 2024|title=History of the RCMP Musical Ride}}

File:Snapshot. Police at Golf Course - Rosemount. Raoul Pelletier BAnQ P48S1P09583.jpg's cavalry unit, 1943]]

Police services in Montreal and Toronto also formed their own mounted police units in the 1880s to cover larger areas in their cities. The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal formed its cavalry unit in 1885 to patrol several roads and park and act as an express mail service between the service's stations.{{cite web|url=https://spvm.qc.ca/en/Pages/Discover-SPVM/Who-does-what/Cavalry-|title=Cavalry|website=spvm.qc.ca|publisher=Service de police de la Ville de Montréal|year=2024|access-date=3 November 2024}} The Toronto Police Service formed its mounted unit in 1886 to provide a police presence in outlying areas of the city that seldom saw police prior to the unit's introduction.{{cite web|url=http://www.thewarriorsdayparade.ca/Images/Toronto%20Police%20Mounted%20Unit.pdf|title=Brief history of the Toronto Police Mounted Unit|last=Wardle|first=William|website=www.thewarriorsdayparade.ca|access-date=3 November 2024}} Both services also used their mounted units to enforce traffic laws during the early advent of automobilies.

The RNWMP's reliance on mounted police units declined significantly after the First World War due to automobiles. Although the RCMP's increasingly relied on motorised vehicles for its work in the 1920s and 1930s, equestrian training remained a centrepiece of its recruit training regimen at RCMP Training Academy until 1966.{{cite web|url=https://rcmp.ca/en/gazette/role-rcmp-horse-past-150-years|website=rcmp.ca|publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|access-date=3 November 2024|date=21 June 2024|title=The role of the RCMP horse in the past 150 years}} {{Asof|2024}}, the RCMP maintains a single troop of 32 riders, the Musical Ride. However, they are an equestrian showcase unit that does not perform any regular police duties.

Municipal police services continued to use mounted police in the 1920s and 1930s for crowd management duties, with the Toronto Police Service and Vancouver Police Department's mounted units growing in size during the Great Depression due to the increasing demonstrations and riots taking place.{{cite web|url=https://vpd.ca/about-the-vpd/vpd-mounted-unit-horses/|title=VPD Mounted Unit Horses|publisher=Vancouver Police Department|year=2024|access-date=3 November 2024|website=vpd.ca}} Toronto and Vancouver's mounted units also saw significant use for crowd control during the 1960s and 1970s.

File:Toronto Police Service Mounted Police rider.jpg's mounted unit on patrol in the city's Fashion District, 2013]]

Police services in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver continue to maintain mounted units for community patrols and crowd management at large events.{{cite web|url=https://www.calgary.ca/cps/specialty-teams/about-our-mounted-patrols-and-the-horses.html|title=Mounted Patrol Unit|publisher=The City of Calgary|year=2024|access-date=4 November 2024|website=www,calgary.ca}}{{cite web|url=https://www.halifax.ca/fire-police/police/about-halifax-regional-police/mounted-unit|title=Halifax Regional Police Mounted Unit|date=18 March 2021|access-date=3 November 2024|website=www.halifax.ca|publisher=Halifax Regional Municipality}} {{asof|2024}}, the Toronto Police Service Mounted Unit is Canada's largest mounted police unit that performs operational duties, made up of 24 horses. Toronto's mounted police unit is primarily tasked with community patrols, although they also conduct vehicular stops, assist with searches, and provide crowd management support, particularly in the city's Entertainment District.{{cite web|url=https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-242575.pdf|website=www.toronto.ca|title=2024 OPERATING BUDGET BRIEFING NOTE Toronto Police Service – Annual Operating Budget for the Mounted Unit, 24 Shades of Blue podcast and Communications Consulting|date=23 January 2024|access-date=4 November 2024|last=Chablinskaia|first=Anna|publisher=City of Toronto}}

The Old Barag Banner Public Security Bureau operates the Gyrfalcon Mounted Police Team ({{Zh|c=海东青骑警队|p=Hǎi dōng qīng qí jǐng duì}}), a mounted police tactical unit used for rapid response and apprehending high priority criminals in rural areas along with mounted search and rescue.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-17 |title=陳巴爾虎草原上的“海東青” |url=http://nm.people.com.cn/BIG5/n2/2023/1217/c196667-40681047.html |website=People's Daily}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-27 |title=火出圈！他们为何叫“海东青”？ |url=https://m.cyol.com/gb/articles/2023-08/27/content_mONpNKSVL5.html |website=China Youth Daily}} It was established in 2018 when it was split by from Old Barag Banner PSB's Anti-terrorism and SWAT team. As of 2023, it consists of 10 members.

{{See also|Shaktiman (horse)|label 1=Shaktiman, a horse that served with the Uttarakhand Police Force}}

The Kolkata Police maintain the Kolkata Mounted Police force which was established in 1840. As of 2024, it has a strength of 2 inspectors, one sergeant-major, 10 sergeants, one JCO, five head sowars, 85 sowars and 98 syces. The force operates 68 horses under 2 stables (one on S N Banerjee Road with a capacity of 70 and the other in Diamond Harbour with 32 horses). The force is deployed currently to regulate crowds in Maidan area in sporting and other events and also showcased in ceremonial events like Republic Day parade in front of Raj Bhavan.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-25 |title=Trotting, cantering and galloping: A day in the life of India's oldest mounted police |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/trotting-cantering-galloping-a-day-kolkata-mounted-police-9179425/ |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2022-08-10 |title=No more civilian 'sowars', Mounted Police trains Kolkata cops as riders |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/no-more-civilian-sowars-mounted-police-trains-kolkata-cops-as-riders/articleshow/93465310.cms |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite web |title=Headquarter Force – Kolkata Police |url=https://kolkatapolice.gov.in/unit_details/headquarter-force/ |access-date=2024-07-03 |language=en-US}}

The Royal Oman Police have many horse- and camel-mounted troopers.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

File:Police Horses (8013453519).jpg. ]]

There are thirteen mounted police sections in the UK. The mounted sections support policing in specialist operations, major incidents, and anti-social behaviour. A mounted officer's responsibilities may include liaising with rural and urban communities on horseback or situations that may attract large crowds such as at sporting and cultural events or at demonstrations. Mounted sections also participate in ceremonial duties.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-25 |title=Mounted Forces |url=https://www.bhs.org.uk/careers-recreational-awards/equestrian-careers-guide/mounted-forces/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425084829/https://www.bhs.org.uk/careers-recreational-awards/equestrian-careers-guide/mounted-forces/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-04-25 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=The British Horse Society}} The Bow Street Horse Patrol, founded in 1763, are the oldest uniformed police force in the world. They were formally incorporated into the Metropolitan Police in 1836. Today the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch is the mounted section of the Metropolitan Police, the police force of Greater London (excluding the City of London, where the separate City of London Police has its own mounted branch). The Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch undertakes crowd control duties, especially at football matches, but also conducts general street patrols and escorts the Royal Guard change at the London's royal residences.

File:South Texas, Border Patrol Agents, McAllen Horse Patrol Unit (11933609855).jpg agents patrol on horseback in Texas.]]

Many cities in the United States have mounted units, New York having one of the largest with 55 horses as of 2016,{{cite web|url=http://www.amny.com/news/nypd-mounted-unit-meet-the-horses-that-patrol-nyc-s-streets-1.12327370|title=NYPD Mounted Unit: Meet the horses that patrol NYC's streets|last=Cook|first=Lauren|date=September 16, 2016|publisher=amNewYork|access-date=22 September 2017}} The Houston, Texas Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit was started in 1983 and now consists of 1 lieutenant, 4 sergeants and 24 officers. It has become increasingly well known due to the decision to remove the shoes of all its 38 mounted horses and embrace the concept of naturalizing their horses' diet and care.{{cite web |url=http://equinewellnessmagazine.com/horses-cops-a-mounted-patrol-unit/ |title=Barefoot Police Horses |last1=Willis |first1=Jill |date=November–December 2011 |publisher=Equine Wellness Magazine |access-date=22 February 2016}}{{cite journal |last1=Sokoloski |first1=Greg |date=2005 |title=City of Houston Police Horses Go Barefoot |url=https://www.thehorseshoof.com/success_Houston1.html |journal=The Horse's Hoof Magazine |issue=18 |access-date=22 February 2016}}

Several American mounted units were disbanded or downsized in the 2010s.{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Michael|title=Police Departments Downsize, From 4 Legs to 2|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/us/15horses.html|work=New York Times|access-date=15 November 2012|date=14 February 2011}} For example, units in Boston and San Diego were disbanded by 2011, while New York City's mounted unit was reduced considerably over the last decade with 79 police officers and 60 horses in 2011 – down from the 130 officers and 125 horses it had before the downsizing. Philadelphia's mounted police unit was disbanded in 2004, but reinstated in 2011 with four horses from the disbanding unit of Newark, New Jersey.

The United States Border Patrol had 200 horses in 2005. Most of these are employed along the U.S.–Mexico border. In Arizona, these animals are fed special processed feed pellets so that their wastes do not spread non-native plants in the national parks and wildlife areas they patrol.{{cite web|url=http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/1731 |title=Border Patrol Horses Get Special Feed that Helps Protect Desert Ecosystem |publisher=Enn.com |date=2005-06-09 |access-date=2011-10-18}}

• {{annotated link|Mounted search and rescue}}
• {{annotated link|Police dog}}
• {{annotated link|Police paddock}} – Australian term for land set aside for police horses
• {{annotated link|Use of UAVs in law enforcement}} – Alternative for crowd control
• Municipal horse

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.mountedpolice.com/ Informational site for mounted police officers]
• [http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/units/ List of mounted search and rescue units]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20051101023008/http://www.equineonline.net/france/equestrian_articles/police_forces_hold_the_reins_in_security.htm Mounted Police in France]}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Law enforcement units

Category:Crowd control

Category:Riot control

Category:Law enforcement animals