E verybody dreams of having the dream lawn with green grass that’s trimmed perfectly, little flower beds and trees here and there with tiny picket fences surrounding them, and spotless edges around said fences or wherever the lawn meets a concrete sidewalk. But that can be easier said than done when you don’t know the first thing about lawn care and the tools you might need to get the job done.

If you’ve come to this article from our article about how to achieve clean cuts with an edger, then here you will find out how to do so without one if you’re not all that eager to spend the extra money. To give you a comprehensive tutorial, we’ll be tackling the topics of when you should edge, what you will need, how to prepare, how to work the soil, how to clean the lawn, and how to maintain your work.

When You Should Edge

First and foremost, let’s discuss the issue of what this activity means. When thinking about lawn care, most people’s thoughts go straight to irrigation and mowing, which is correct, but what’s wrong is that it all stops there. One thing that you can do to have your yard look put-together is to take care of the free edge by either cutting down the overgrown grass or by cutting out straight lines – or curved ones if that’s the case – that clearly mark where the lawn stops and where your sidewalk begins.

When it comes to picking the right moment, you should consider doing this activity during early spring, either after it has rained or a little while after irrigating the lawn. The reason for this specific timing is that doing the edges in the spring will give you an easier time throughout the year since you’ll only have to do maintenance work from now on which would leave you with plenty of time to perform other lawn care activities. Also, since you don’t have an electrical lawn edger with which you can go through the soil quicker and keep a straighter line, then you’ll have a way easier time if the soil is damp enough to make it easier for your manual tools to get through it.

What You’ll Need

Tending to your lawn can imply expensive purchases but since this specific task can be done if you simply repurpose the tools that you might already have in your outdoor storage shed, you won’t have to take out your wallet to achieve the same clean-cut results.

Without further ado, here’s a list of the tools that you should prepare for the job:

• A Lawn Mower or a Trimmer
• A Flat or Spade Shovel with a straight or square edge (while we’re here, consider the footrest space as well since you’ll be making use of it)
• Shears (for maintenance purposes)
• A Rake or a Broom
• A Collecting Bin or a Wheelbarrow
• Marking Tools (a more detailed list is further down)
• Protection Equipment (think shoes, long pants, gloves, and maybe even glasses to keep you safe and ready for work)

How to Prepare

When it comes to preparation, what you’ll have to do is mow the grass to a manageable level and mark your path so that you have a clear idea of which way you’re going and you don’t happen to go off course. Marking isn’t a must with motorized tools, but when doing things manually you use more force, you tire quicker, and thus you are prone to getting off course accidentally. So then, what you do is either:

1. Use spray paint. This works especially well if you’re dealing with a lawn that has many curved edges, as you can follow those naturally with a marker that flows freely. One thing to keep in mind is to use the paint method when the weather is nice because otherwise wind or rain can disturb or wash away the line. The placement of the paint line is up to you since you could place it so that it will get cut off or as a border to stop at.

– or –

2. Use materials. Here, the materials can refer to plastic edge markers, to a string that you tie to posts, or to a rope or a hose that you lay directly on the ground and around which you cut. Note that the string method will work best with straight lawns, as you’re likely to need plenty of posts to create a proper demarcation line on a curved lawn.

How to Edge

When it comes to the actual edging, you can go about it in one of two ways, depending on the way you’ve designed your landscape. The easy way, if you have pavers set in place or a sidewalk that clearly marks the end of your lawn and the soil rests a bit higher, is to take your mower or trimmer and go about cutting the grass along the edge short and clean.

Trimmer or Mower Edging

• With the trimmer: you can do this by carefully maneuvering the cutting head at an angle to get between the pavement and the grass and go in a straight path. This method guarantees more precision but also requires a bit more skill.
• With the mower: you can make use of the height difference between the pavement and the soil and keep a diagonal position as you cut. Note that the blades need to be adjusted lower and you must avoid touching the pavement with them so that they don’t break. This method won’t allow you to get a straight line in, but it will do a good job cleaning up and it’s both faster and easier.

Shovel Edging

The method that can take more time and guarantee a deeper and more precise cut is the one where you use the shovel. Again, you can go about it in one of two ways. After marking, you can either take your time going segment by segment or you can ‘walk’ on the shovel as you go.

• Segment by segment: This option is better for those that are edging with a shovel for the first time, because it implies putting the shovel against the marked line at an angle (the angle should go slightly towards the outer edge for an easier cut through the soil), pressing down on the footrest until you’ve reached your preferred depth, taking the shovel out, and repeating the process along the whole path.
• Walking: This option can be quicker if you have good balance and precision because it implies keeping one leg on the footrest to press down on the shovel, and one on the ground to walk on. So, you’ll have to use your arm strength to position the shovel, press down with your foot, take the shovel out and reposition it all without removing your leg from the shovel, and use the other leg to keep moving along.

Cleaning Up

Once you’re done with either of the two methods mentioned above, you might have to go back to do a horizontal cut as well to be able to take out the old edge. This step can be skipped if you’ve cut at an angle that’s deep enough to allow an easy pick-up. When all the old bits and pieces have been taken out, you can then place them in a bin or a wheelbarrow if you don’t have a use for them yet, or you can leave them in a sunny spot to dry out if you’re planning on using them for compost. You can do the same for the clippings that remained after you’ve mowed the lawn, but dry them first because they can do more harm than good if they are placed wet on your mulch pile. Also, don’t add too many at once (a layer that’s less than 3 inches) so that you avoid ruining the hard compost work you’ve done so far.

How to Maintain

If you’ve taken our advice and performed this job during spring, then your maintenance work will consist of occasional trimming that you can do either by using the trimmer, the lawnmower, or a good pair of lawn shears. If you find that pesky weeds have taken residence in the edges, know that you can take care of them without harming your grass but that’s a whole other topic.

Conclusion

Now that you’re done with your work, you should go clean yourself up as well so that you can later come out and enjoy the new look that your yard welcomes you with. We hope that our tips were helpful and that we’ve aided you in keeping your budget within its boundaries.

H aving a well-kept lawn will definitely make the difference between a gorgeous yard and an ok yard. And well-kept refers to more than just watering and mowing. Trimming and keeping the edges clean is just as important as shaping your beard or your nails to end up with a look that is put together.

Edging the lawn isn’t all that hard as it might seem, but for first-timers, it might take up more time and effort, therefore we have taken it upon ourselves to put together a comprehensive guide on how to best prepare for and go about giving your grass beds a manicured appearance. So, if you’re keen on transforming your yard, keep on reading.

Preparation

The first part regards the preparation steps, but that doesn’t refer only to buying a tool or cutting the grass. The whole process consists of:

Know Your Tool

If you don’t already have an edger, know that there are the three types that you can choose from, namely the gas-powered type, the electric type, and the manual type:

1. The gas-powered type is the pick to go for if you have a big workload that you have to get right from the first pass because it boasts a high power, a smoother run, and an easy start.
2. The electric lawn edger is the pick for those who want an environmentally-friendly operation, with less pollution, less noise, and with a lighter build to carry around as well. The only thing to note is that an electric option might have to go through tougher grass-filled soil twice to make an appropriate cut.
3. The manual option is the cheapest one, but it also takes more time to use than a motorized version. Note that you will need plenty of strength and stamina if you want to go with this route.

Picking the right tool is up to you because only you know the amount of power, precision, and ease of use that you’ll need for your soil and lawn type. One thing to be aware of is that you can also use 2-in-1 tools, like a trimmer and edger combination that can help you achieve a seamless end-product.

Prepare the Tool

After you’ve picked the right tool, you can go ahead and check its components and manual before the first use in order to get accustomed to the way it works. Check every button, adjustment knob, and feature that it comes with to be certain that everything will work properly and smoothly.

Prepare the Lawn

The next step is taking care of the lawn itself because you can’t get to trimming and edging the sides if your grass is overgrown and leaning over every side. Start by mowing it down to a decent length as close to each side as possible, since this way you will also make life easier on yourself when it’s time to tend to the portions that meet the sidewalk. Another thing you should make sure of is that there are no rocks, pebbles, twigs, or other debris lurking near where the blade of the tool will be operating because this can cause accidents, injuries, or it can even lead to a defective tool.

Other extra steps that you can take, but that are not a must, are watering and marking. If the soil you are about to run your blade through is overly dry, hard, and bound together by a thick webbing of grass, you might want to water it beforehand to soften it and prevent forcing the blade too much. If you know that you don’t have the time needed to take care of this aspect, then you could think about installing an irrigation system that you could control remotely with a sprinkler controller so that you could do some of the work even before you get home.

The step of marking refers to adding a helping hand by the course which the edger would be following. If you’ve never done any of this before, getting a hose or a long rope to lie on the grass – near the cutting spot next to the sidewalk – might help you out with keeping a straight line.

Prepare Yourself

As we’ve mentioned already, this process can take quite some time, especially if you’re a beginner at edging or if you went for a manual tool. That is why, first and foremost, you should prepare by equipping yourself with plenty of patience. After you’ve done so, then you can gather the gear that will keep you safe during the operation, meaning:

• Eye protection – Goggles or a shield can do the work of keeping your eyes safe.
• Ear protection – Motorized tools can be quite noisy, especially the gas-powered ones, so make sure that you have noise-canceling earmuffs or headsets. Do talk to your neighbors as well before using the tool, as they could have complaints about it.
• Hand protection – If the tool isn’t equipped with anti-slip handles, you can wear gloves with rubberized grooves or any pair that can ensure a good grip on the handles. Plus, gloves will also serve well with keeping your hands clean.
• Leg protection – Wear long pants, preferably made from a thicker material to soften any possible hits that can happen if you accidentally hit yourself with the tool or if it happens to get stuck and you trip over it.
• Foot protection – A good pair of work boots or shoes with a steel toe will be a great choice when doing most yard work.

Get to Edging

Now that everything is checked and protected, we can get to the actual process of clearing out a tidy edge for your lawn. Here’s what the next steps will look like:

• Blade Adjustment – Decide on a depth adjustment for the blade that will allow it to dig a path that is at least 2 inches deep or at the most 4 or 5 inches. The latter is ok given the width that you’re working with, but anything deeper will cross into trench territory.
• Wheel Adjustment – The wheel should only act as a helper to keep you going, not as something you should rely on to carry out the operation. A good adjustment for the wheel will allow it to touch the ground but not rest on it as the blade works.
• Proper Position – You should be walking on the sidewalk at all times, and so should the wheel and the majority of the tool. The only part that should touch the soil is the blade, and it should hold a 90-degree position no matter what.
• Keep it Moving – Once everything is in position and the engine is on, you should only focus on keeping your line straight and pacing yourself to match the rhythm of the tool. Try to keep a good speed – not too fast and not too slow – so that you won’t have to pass over any section more than once.
• Maneuvering – The easiest way to go about starting is to begin in a corner and work your way forward. Or, if you have a curved lawn, begin in the middle of the curve and work one section at a time. Make sure that you never walk backward, unless you have a manual tool. Motorized edgers don’t take well to backward motions.
• Check on the Blade – Occasionally, you might want to check on the blade, especially if the grass webbing is thick, the soil is hard, or if the workload is big. All these factors will wear the blade faster and that means you’ll have to adjust it lower at certain points in time.
• Take Breaks – Whether for yourself, for the tool, or to check on your progress, taking a break is something that we recommend. This way you can make sure that you went the right way, nothing is crooked, and you can also clear out some of the clippings and soil bits left behind to make things easier on the future you.
• Finishing Touches – When you’re done with the full path that you wanted to take care of, all that’s left to do is to trim the edges and cut off any grass bits, plants, or weeds that are still sticking out.

Clean Up

Now that the edging part is done, one final step is the cleaning one which, again, divides:

Lawn

There are a few ways in which you can address the clippings that are now hosted by your lawn, and those can include using mowers that come with collecting bags, mowing again, and leaving the cut-up bits in the lawn, using a sweeper, or using a rake. One other method you can use to gather everything is to grab a cordless leaf blower that you can waltz around the whole lawn with and blow everything into a convenient corner spot – where you’ll then be able to use a rake or other tools to stuff the clippings into bags.

Once the grass bit cleaning is covered, you can recheck the edges for any bits of soil that are sticking out like an eyesore and tidy those spots up as well. Lastly, you can get to detail trimming again if any taller grass blades still managed to hide around somewhere.

Tool

One thing that you shouldn’t forget, no matter what, is cleaning the tool itself. We know it’s tempting to simply shove it in your outdoor storage shed to keep it safe and out of the rain, but you have to clean it out beforehand. Make sure that you leave the blade spotless and check to see if any debris found its way in any other parts of the mechanism. If left unchecked and dirty, the lifespan of the tool will shorten considerably.

Conclusion

Now that everything is done and your lawn looks photo-ready, it’s time to reward yourself. Grab a patio chair and a cold drink (or a hot one, depending on the weather), and delight your eyes with your new, beautiful landscape.

We hope that our tutorial was useful, and if you’re looking to achieve the same outcome without spending money on extra tools, you can also check out our article on how to achieve clean cuts without an edger.

O ne of the greatest joys that beginner horse riders consider at one point or another is the thought of going from occasionally riding a horse to actually owning one. Most commonly, this happens with children that have just been introduced to the world of riding and develop the sudden urge to ask for a pony every day. But, however fun and exciting that thought might be, the person that is thinking about actually making the purchase has quite a lot to consider.

To tackle this specific subject, we have put together a detailed guide about what to consider beforehand, what you’ll have to gather information about, the expenses, and more. Keep scrolling further if you are curious about what it actually means to own a horse.

Is buying a horse the right thing for you?

The first thing you’ll need to think about is if you actually want to buy a horse. You might have owned a dog or a cat before, or maybe even a rabbit or some chicken. If that seemed like a difficult time for you, or if you didn’t manage to get into a good routine with those animals, it’s ten times harder when it comes to a 1,000-pound animal. If, however, you’re up for a challenge and feel like you are responsible enough, let’s go further.

Consider the expenses

While the initial price is quite high, it will feel like nothing when compared to the continuous care that follows after. Think of the expenses as being the same or higher than those involved when buying and servicing a car over the years. To be more specific, these costs include:

Offer the proper environment

The environment can translate into keeping the horse in boarding or on your property. When it comes to boarding, the level of care can vary from paying for the space and doing the care work yourself to paying for everything and having someone tend to your horse entirely. The latter is an experience that’s similar to going for horse riding lessons, the only two differences being that it’s more expensive and the horse is only yours.

If you keep the horse at home, you’ll have to have everything from a paddock or a pasture, a barn or a stall with bedding and weatherproofing, food, cleaning products, care products, and so on.

Have the right equipment

Another important aspect that sits within the expenses is buying the equipment that you’ll need in order to train and ride the horse.

For the horse

For the horse itself, you will need everything starting with a bridle going to pads, a halter, a breastplate, a lead, horseshoes, boots, a blanket, and so on. Some are required when riding and some are required when training, but one piece that works in both cases is a horse saddle that fits the animal well, helps with desensitizing, and offers more comfort during rides.

For you

There are many options when it comes to the equipment that a beginner rider should own and wear but one of the most important pieces that many forget to think about are the horse riding boots that are different from regular footwear through the heel design and ankle protection that they offer. These boots usually come in various sizes because comfort is the most important aspect when riding a horse, which is also why jodhpurs (or breeches) have lighter seams so as to not chafe the skin.

Do you have the proper knowledge?

Other than requiring the proper care products and quite a big budget, horses are also intricate beings that require you to know a whole lot of information so that you can deliver the best care. For a short briefing, let’s separate the knowledge into two aspects:

Physical Health

When it comes to physical health, we’ll be addressing the nutrition and exercise aspects. The first thing that you should know about the aspect of nutrition is that no two horses are the same, just as no two people are the same. Your animal is bound to have its preferences when it comes to food and treats and those will, in turn, influence its weight and health. That’s why we recommend that you speak to a veterinarian when the time is right so that you can put together an appropriate meal and exercise plan. The exercise plan should be followed no matter what; otherwise, long periods of inactivity can have a bad influence on muscles, joints, bone structure, and even mental health.

Mental Health

Largely for convenience but also for safety purposes, large animals that have grown on pastures in the past are now being kept in stables and barns which usually don’t provide too much freedom in movement, and leaving them there for extended periods of time has been proven to be a mistake. Inactivity and confinement can be detrimental to an animal’s health, even more so when its body holds great power and energy that needs to be released. If you must leave your horse in its stall for longer than usual, consider adding enrichment in the form of different feeding methods, frozen treats, toys, and so on.

One thing that could help you realize if there’s anything wrong with your horse, either physically or mentally, is to learn its body language so that you can have an easier time telling when something is off.

You’ll need to form a routine

More often than not, routines have been proven to increase efficiency, productivity, and to add to the delivery of better results. When an animal is involved as well, the added benefits include creating a sense of familiarity, increasing trust and self-confidence, and also ensuring a better bonding between you and the animal. However, you should be prepared to cut down on social events and leisure time unless you have a budget for a caretaker because what we are about to enumerate can take up all of your time.

Routine with the horse

The routines that are directly related to the horse have to do with the feeding and watering schedule, which you should try to maintain for as long as the horse is in your care. The only modifications that can occur along the way are related to the method, for example, when the horse reaches a certain age, you might have to feed the hay bales through an electric wood chipper to make the straw pieces smaller and easier to digest.

Other scheduled activities can include regular grooming so that you can tend to the coat, the mane, and the hooves, regular health check-ups to stay on top of the annual shorts, tooth inspections, and deworming procedures, and last but not least, exercising and training to keep the animal in top shape and stimulated.

Routine around the stable

A very important routine that you cannot skip has to do with the cleaning of the stable or the barn where your steed sleeps and stays during bad weather. The manure needs to be removed promptly, the floors need to be washed, and the whole place needs to be bug-proof. One way to make sure that horseflies or other bothersome bugs won’t stress out your animal is to treat the space with a chemical-free insect fogger that can ensure a long-lasting effect.

What you’ll need to know before you make a purchase

Now that we’ve gone through the basics of what to expect when you own a horse, it’s time for us to be focusing on the actual buying process.

How to search

While searching for the right horse might sound easy at first, know that the descriptions in the ADs and salesmen aren’t always what or who they seem to be. What we recommend is that you ask for the help of a person that is knowledgeable in this domain and can guide you in the right direction. You could look into buying a horse from the following sources:

• Individual Sellers or Online Ads
• Private or Public Auctions
• Experienced Dealers or Trainers
• Breeders

Horse Checklist

Even once you have found the right horse, things aren’t over. When you go for your face-to-face meeting, you’ll need to check if the information you have received so far matches with what you see, so check the following:

Physical attributes and history

Everything from the age to the breed, size, and gender needs to coincide with what you’ve been told about the horse before setting up a meeting. Our recommendations are to avoid younger horses that haven’t been trained long enough and definitely don’t go for a stallion, as those can be a handful. Instead, opt for older geldings or mares with training experience, a good size for your height, and a good medical background. For that last information, you can ask the owner for the name of the vet and farrier that has been seeing the horse or even for the contact of any previous owners.

Temperament

When you’re first seeing the horse, you’re bound to spend a little time talking with the owner, looking at the living conditions in the stables, and most importantly, taking note of the animal’s behavior. Check for any strange movements, changes in mood, and observe how it acts around the owner and when it is walked around. It’s very important to watch it move, as this can tell you more about the level of energy, how likely it is to listen to commands, or if there might be any lameness in the legs. If you don’t pay attention to these details, you might end up with an ill-tempered steed that will make your first owning experience more difficult than it has to be.

Regardless of its temper, however, even the mildest horse can have a moment when it gets scared – thus turning a walk into a trot – which is why you should make sure that you have the right horseback riding helmet that fits you well and will keep you safe in case you go down unexpectedly. With the right equipment, you can safely tackle everything that might come your way, should the animal have a sudden shift in behavior until it gets used to its new home.

Do your part

To make sure that you are doing everything right and no information escapes during the meeting, do the following:

⚕ Check-ups: Two things that you shouldn’t overlook when meeting your desired horse for the first time are bringing an experienced person and a vet along. The former can help guide you regarding what you need to ask beforehand and how you can negotiate if the price seems a little high, while the latter can give you a medical overview that will help with the final decision.

♞ Ask for a ride: Whether you decide you want to hop on the horse or have the seller go for a ride, this step is one that you shouldn’t omit. A ride can reveal if the animal is comfortable with the riding equipment, if it stays still, if it allows for an easy mount, and if it behaves well in the paddock.

Once you have made the purchase

When your first horse is finally in your possession, we’re sure that there’s nothing that you would like more than immediately going for a ride, but you must be mindful of the animal’s experience as well. Offer it enough time to decompress and adapt to the new living environment and don’t start the training right away. We recommend letting at least a week go by, with the last few days consisting of bonding activities like grooming, walking around, feeding treats, and so on. After a week has gone by, you can start the desensitizing process, which means acclimating the animal to everything that might be new, like the sound the cars on your property make, the various animals that live there, other people that might be handling it, and so on. Always start slow and work your way up when it comes to introducing new experiences.

Alternatives

If you’ve made it this far into the article and buying a horse doesn’t seem like a good option after all, then here are the alternatives that you can go for:

1. Loaning – Instead of owning a horse, you can choose to loan it for a few months to a year. Look around for someone in your area who can provide this service and give them a call. Depending on the way they like to do things, you might have to pay a larger fee to have the animal together with every item it needs to be delivered to your home or you might have to pay a smaller fee to take the animal home and gather everything you need for it yourself.
2. Riding Lessons – The easiest route if riding is all you care about is just going for riding lessons, where caring for the horse is left to the professionals.
3. Volunteering – This is something that isn’t available everywhere, but you can give asking a try. Some riding clubs offer the option of volunteering in taking care of the animals and the stables in exchange for free riding lessons. This way, you can engage in both the care part and the riding part.
4. Horse Rescues – This last volunteering option is more for those who don’t find riding to be the most important aspect and simply want to care for these beautiful creatures. In rescues, the main interaction usually aims to start a bonding process to help with rehabilitation and has the end goal of getting horses to trust people again.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve reached the end of our article, the only person who can decide whether or not owning a horse is a good idea for you is you. Consider everything we’ve covered here and do research work for yourself as well. Only make this decision if you’re sure that it will be a good one for both of the involved parties.

Y ou’ve probably been thinking of taking up this sport for quite some time now, and if you’ve stumbled upon our website before you know that we’ve gone over the benefits of riding a horse quite a few times. It will help you both physically and mentally, but you need to be prepared in some aspects before going for your first lesson.

Preparation Steps

Consider whether you’re in this for the long haul, because this sport implies investments that translate into lesson payments, equipment purchasing, possibly a membership, and you should even set aside something in case of an accident.

Start by making a budget.

A budget will help you see how much money you can spend on this new activity and also search for ways to add to your income if necessary. Some schools will even allow you to work for your lessons after you’ve frequented them for a while by tending to the stables or the horses.

Find a reputable riding school.

To make sure that you’ve found the right fit, consider every aspect:

• Location – Is this school near you or do you have to also factor in the price of gas or public transport?
• Pricing – Are their prices reasonable or do they offer alternative payment methods?
• The number of trainers/horses – Do they have enough resources to cater to the number of students they take in?
• Reviews – Don’t overlook other clients’ opinions. Find out if there are unsatisfied customers and why (some might be right while others might not).

Be prepared to answer questions about yourself.

Age, height, and weight are three of the details that your trainer will need to know to find the right-sized horse for you. Whether you’ve ridden before and if you are comfortable around horses is what the trainer needs to know for a good fit behavior-wise.

What to Expect from Your First Lesson

If you are a genuine beginner, the first lesson can range from 30 minutes to one hour depending on what your trainer decides, and – in some places – on your preference as well. You will start by learning the basics:

• How to mount
• The go command
• The left and right commands
• The fast and slow commands
• The stop command
• The emergency stop

You will begin by slowly leading the horse until you are confident in the movements and the pace will most likely be a walking one. If you’re doing really well, your trainer might add in a little trot, which is a faster pace between a walk and a run. Some trainers might even teach you how to tie the horse saddle so that it can keep both you and your steed comfortable when you ride, while others might give you some time to bond with the animal in different ways, like grooming them or offering treats.

What to Wear for Your First Lesson

During the first lesson, minimal protection gear should be offered by the school at first, and that consists of a good horseback riding helmet that will be able to absorb any shocks that your head can be subject to in case of an accident. The reason why it should be offered is that this piece of equipment can be quite expensive and if you decide that you want to stop riding at any point, buying it will mean a considerable dent in your budget. Other equipment, like gloves or boots, is something you should have yourself.

Something to remember when picking your clothing is to avoid wearing bright colors, clothes that flap in the wind, or garments with embellishments that shine or make noises as you move because all these details can be distracting or even scary for a horse, enabling the possibility of a dangerous reaction. We have an article that caters to this exact topic of what to wear and you can find it here.

Tips for Beginners

To wrap up this article, we will leave you with a few tips on what to do both before and during riding:

• Learn how to hold the reins – The proper hold is grasping with the three fingers between the thumb and little finger, placing the thumb over the part that goes up, and using your little finger as a block for the part that goes down.
• Know that you should always mount from the left side – Unless your trainer says otherwise.
• Don’t use the reins to balance yourself – The added irregular pressure will disturb the horse.
• Don’t exaggerate when pulling on the reins and don’t keep a continuous pressure – Again, horses respond to pressure and will keep responding if the pressure doesn’t stop.
• Don’t hold your horse with your heels or your knees – This can cause you to fly out of the saddle if the horse bucks.
• Keep a straight line in your posture for more control and keep your elbows bent
• Keep the ball of the foot planted on the stirrup, not the middle of the sole – Although a proper pair of horse riding boots will come with a heel that won’t let your foot fall off of the stirrup, it can also cause an improperly positioned leg to get stuck in case you fall off.
• Keep your eyesight forward
• Be as relaxed as possible – But keep your weight down on the saddle.
• Know the emergency stop – If you can tell that the horse is about to buck or sprint, use your right hand to reach out to about half the length of one rein and pull it back to your hip to cause the animal to stop and walk in a circle.

Things You Can Do Beforehand

To wrap up this article, we will leave you with a few insights on how to be able to tell how the horse you’re riding is feeling. This will also help if you’re the type of person who likes to be prepared beforehand, even when it comes to unknown topics. The body language of horses – namely, the basic behavioral cues, are the following:

• Ears – the location towards which they angle shows where they are paying attention, and the amount of tension in them tells how relaxed or tense the animal is
• Eyes – similar to humans, the eyes of a horse can be a clear indicator if the animal is scared (wide eyes) or relaxed (half-closed lids)
• Mouth – this part can show tension (tight lips), boredom (repetitive chewing), or relaxation (droopy lips)
• Neck – the height at which it stands shows what they are preparing to do (e.g. a high neck can mean a jump; a low neck can mean a buck) or how dominant they are trying to be; the position can also show whether the animal is trusting of you (by not moving) or not (by blocking you)
• Tail – it can show tension, apprehension, or boredom depending on the type of swishing it does
• Legs – the legs will be among the first parts to show the fight or flight response through fidgeting or planting

A More Detailed Explanation

If the animal is:

Relaxed
The ears will be perked a little, but they will fall to the sides and move around rarely by using slow motions. The eyelids will be relaxed, almost droopy and the case will be the same with the mouth – it could also be lazily chewing a treat or releasing a prolonged sigh. The neck will rest in a lowered position, the tail will be loose and relaxed, and the legs will show no sudden movements. One hoof might even stay in a resting position, further behind compared to the other three.
Bored
A bored horse will show little to no interest in what you are doing or saying. The ears will drop to the sides and the eyes will lack focus or stare into nothing. The jaw can present some signs of tension in the cheek area, or absent-minded chewing can be observed. The neck, however, will show no tension, the tail will either be lifeless or show a pitiful swishing motion, and the legs will be dragged along if the animal moves.
Anxious
An anxious animal will show multiple signs of fidgeting. Prey animals, in particular, are bound to move around when they can sense danger, therefore a horse’s ears will either dart around or they will fixate on the danger source and so will their eyes, which can be wide or even bulging. The mouth will be tight and the nose can be flared or make a snorting sound to express unease. The head and neck can be held high or they can perform blocking movements to protect the vulnerable areas. The tail will be either tucked or it will stay high up, while the legs fidget or dart back and forth.
Mad
Finally, if the animal is mad, the ears will stay tensed but flat against the head, while the eyes become wide or fixated on the object, animal, or person that is being perceived as a threat. The mouth will, again, show tightness, and the head could either perform blocking movements or it can be held high and the chest could be puffed for dominance. The tail will be tense and it can flick around, and the feet will either stump or be planted firmly to the ground.

To wrap it up

Remembering at least some of these details can be very useful during your first ride and you might even manage to impress your trainer with your beginner skills. All that’s left for us to say is that we hope you have fun and that we’ve managed to provide information that was useful to you.

E very horse lover’s worst nightmare is seeing a clear case of neglect or abuse happening and not having a clear idea on how to go about taking action to help the poor souls. For this exact reason, we’ve put together this helpful guide on what you can do to stop these horrible situations, how and when to intervene when you see them, and how to make a proper report when you want to get the authorities involved.

So, to get right to it, here are the main steps you should take when you’re trying to stop abuse or neglect:

Ways to Stop It

Set an Example

First and foremost, as the saying goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. If you have them, treat your horses the right way and encourage others to do so, too. Call out bad practices when you see them or show people the right way to go about taking care of these beautiful animals by sharing your care techniques.

Speak Up or Intervene

These actions can prove to be beneficial only in situations where the owner might not be aware of the neglect, as would be the case when the horse saddle used is the wrong size or has been damaged to a point where it’s inflicting pain on the animal by pinching its shoulders or badly chafing the skin. Or, another example would be when the owner might have been misinformed of how to use certain training tools, like attaching spurs to the horse riding boots when they aren’t yet familiarized with how to use heel cues to guide the horse.

Use Social Media to your Advantage

Using platforms like Facebook or Twitter could be a great and quick way of getting experts’ or animal’s rights activists’ opinions on what you should do once you see a case in your state. One important thing to remember is to refrain from calling out a specific case by posting address details and photos online, especially if you haven’t reported it yet to the local authorities. While it might seem beneficial, what that does is flood the authorities’ messages and calls only with requests about that respective case, thus making it harder to gather information on other important reports. Also, another downside could be the owner seeing the post and concealing any evidence or the animal itself, bringing everyone’s efforts down to zero.

Do Research Work

Read up on the laws of your state and what exactly can be done. Find out what exactly counts as abuse in your area and how serious the offense is. This could help you during a one-on-one talk with the owner to try to mend the situation without involving others, or even before you’re gathering proof of the neglect, as you’ll know what to focus on. Also, research what the local authorities or rescue agencies can do for the horse itself. In most cases, the police and related departments can investigate and remove the horse if necessary by using a warrant, whereas local humane societies or rescues can only investigate and aid with rescuing and case preparing (in some areas they are also allowed to remove the animal if its life is in immediate danger).

Report the case.

Tips on How to Report a Case

Do:

1. When giving the address or location, be as specific as possible.
   Whether you’re reporting a case of neglect or one of abandonment, the authorities need to know exactly where to go, so providing a vague location will amount to nothing.
2. Give as many details as you can about the animal and the condition it is kept in.
   Its color, specific markings, size, and gait could be important to the investigation, as well as all the signs of neglect you can see. Those can be directly connected to the horse (wounds, emaciation, leg issues, bald patches, sunburns) or they can be connected to the condition it is kept in (no source of nutrition or water, no shelter, filthy enclosure).
3. Collect evidence by taking photos of the condition of the stables or the animal itself, the food, the rough handling, or any improper, harmful, or abusive methods used by the owner when interacting with the animal.
   Everyone has some sort of device on their person that they can use to gather photos or videos which can prove your claims, but be careful when doing so, as in many states it is illegal to trespass, therefore you’ll have to take them standing on the pubic road. In some circumstances, other laws might not allow you to film someone at all without their consent, so the evidence might not be worth anything. Another thing is to be wary of the person you’re showing this evidence to, as they should be an authority figure or a worker aware of the animal’s rights and what the proper course of action should be.

   An alternative to taking photos or videos could be documentation through the written word. Collect details in an agenda about the location, what the horses look like, how they are treated, and how they change physically throughout a couple of days.

4. Make sure to follow up after you’ve made a report, to check on how things are developing.
   If the neglect is only mild, the course of action could be that the officers will give a second chance for the owner to right any wrongs. You can only report a second time months after if there haven’t been any changes, or maybe sooner if the previous condition starts to worsen.

   In extreme situations, when the animal’s life is at risk, you can stay on-site and wait for the authorities, and they will most likely remove the horse from any near-death situations (extremely dehydrated or emaciated, injured to the point of laying on the ground, caught in a trap or fence and unable to free itself).

Try to Avoid

To keep yourself safe and to have a real chance at saving the horse, or horses, in question, there are some things that you should avoid doing:

• Trespassing or getting physical with the owner – Both of these actions could get you either seriously injured or sued. And neither helps with the end goal.
• Interacting with the animal in any way – As difficult as it might be, don’t feed or give water to the horse, and in under no circumstance should you take the animal off of someone’s property. Officers’ task of building a case against the owner will be far more difficult if there is evidence of food or water present, regardless of where those originated from. And, in the case that you would remove the horse yourself, the owner can, again, sue you for multiple offenses and get the animal right back to the same treatment.

Final Words

Always be careful when you’re trying to be the hero. Even if rescue missions might seem easy in movies, in real life, one wrong action could put you in harm’s way quicker than you’d think, or you might even end up being the one going to jail. Always do proper research before taking any kind of action, as impulsive decisions can do more harm than good in this type of case.

B ack in the day when nothing was motorized, humans relied on the help of horses to do most of their daily tasks. That also applied to transportation (today’s buses and taxis), police work, medical work (ambulances), and even firefighting. The last one mentioned is this article’s topic, namely how fire horses contributed to the work of the fire service.

What are Fire Horses?

Fire Horse was the title given to a stallion or mare trained to respond to fire alarms by allowing its handlers to strap it to the gear connected to the wagon which it would pull to carry the heavy equipment required to put out any building that was ablaze. These horses were usually bought after they passed the 3 years old age mark, as they had to be trained beforehand to accept being equipped with a harness and how to respond to the signals received through the reins. The names firefighters gave them were usually monosyllabic or disyllabic like Ted or Beauty, but some exceptions were made, like in the case of Searchlight, a stallion widely known for being able to find the quickest shortcuts, particularly during the nighttime.

Those horses were usually on duty for 5 years, and some even went up to 10 years, and while that might not seem to be a long time that is how much they lasted because:

• They had to run at exceptional speeds
• The loads they carried were incredibly heavy
• The impact of the hooves hitting the hard city pavement created a lot of damage to the legs and joints
• The weather wasn’t always favorable (heavy rain which caused the roads to be muddy, thick snow, heat waves, etc.)

To help them along, there were many attempts made involving rubber horseshoes, cloths, or wooden shields, but none came out particularly successful. No other gear was involved other than the harnesses since the animals were tied to carriages and no one needed horse saddles, although there are stories of an old fire chief named McRobie who used to ride his horse Frank bareback to make way for the fire wagons behind him. The firefighters didn’t have all that much protection either, other than their wide-brimmed helmets made from very tough leather, very different from today’s horse riding helmets.

When were they used by firefighters?

The era in which fire horses have had a spot in the hall of fame began in the year 1877 and ended sometime in the late 1930s, though most of the rides in the 30s were final calls that signaled the retirement of the horse units.

Hose Company 1 was the first to employ the service of equines and they started by acquiring two steeds for the job of pulling the equipment. After that, many other Fire Engines followed suit and soon horses became an emblem for the fire departments, acclaimed by the public and well taken care of by the fire chiefs and other workers. Whenever there was a fire, you would instantly hear the siren, the loud thumping hooves across the pavement, and the barks of the Dalmatians that accompanied the carriages. Their popularity rose so much that everyone was sure this would be the standard practice for centuries to come. However, as motorized engines started to appear and be integrated into the fire departments, it slowly became clear that sooner or later the horses would have to retire. By 1921 almost all of the engines in use were already motorized, and the final calls to include horses would be happening on the 10th of April in 1922 in Detroit and on the 6th of February in 1923 in Chicago for false alarms in the U.S. In Canada, they were last used in the winter of 1936 in Winnipeg for a few real calls, due to the horses’ ability to make their way through the heavy snow, and until 1938 in Fredericton, the last city to retire them.

What breeds were often used as Fire Horses?

Firefighters often looked for one of two breeds that could bear the loads and also be easily trainable, and those were:

• Morgans: leaner and faster | a height from 14 to 15 hands high | used for less strenuous jobs
• Percherons: bigger and more muscular | a height from 15 to 18 hands high | used to pull spectacular weights

The colts they sought out were bred from purebred stallions and crossbreed mares, and the reason for this is that half breeds were less pretentious when it came to maintenance, but they were also faster and cheaper to buy. As previously mentioned, the age of the animal had to be between 3 and 6 years old so that they were old enough to have already had their basic training and young enough to be used for a long time. The colt’s adult weight also had a say in future responsibilities, and so they were separated into lightweights for hose wagons, middleweights for steamers, and large for heavier loads.

Fire Horses and Dalmatians

There was also a second animal that was just as often seen running in front of a fire engine, and that was one or more Dalmatians. These packs were used by firefighters for a few main reasons, those being the horses’ and carriages’ safety and the loud barks. People had long since noticed that dogs and horses get along, and that was because the canine companions had a calming effect which was perfect during the long waits as the fires were being put out. The dogs also protected everything left behind by the firefighters from thieves. Lastly, when the engine was pulled through busy streets the loud bark was extremely important because people could hear from very far away that they needed to clear the path.

Final Thoughts

Nowadays, firefighters don’t have to rely on horses as means of transportation to tend to fires thanks to the improvements made to the motorized fire engines. Those who might still have to rely on their steeds to carry water containers in case of a fire emergency are the people who live in remote locations, too far away from fire stations. And, although animals aren’t used in the heat of the action anymore, the memory of their faithful and reliable services still lives on, since many fire departments still have a Dalmatian as their mascot to remind everyone of the olden times.

W hen you think of Kentucky, you’re probably thinking of horses, and that’s because this is the state that is also known as the Bluegrass State, where many pastures grow this highly nutritious type of grass that helps with the thoroughbred horse industry. And where there are horses, there’s also riding, and this state takes the lead when it comes to equestrian culture. But, before you strap the horse saddle on your trusty steed, you should know that this isn’t the only attraction you can find, as Kentucky is home to more than 130 known caves, and most of them can be toured.

One, in particular, you can consider visiting is located in Horse Cave, or under it to be exact, and it is called the Hidden River Cave. It stretches over approximately 10 miles and the changes it went through throughout history still have noticeable remnants today.

About the Cave

As it is often the case, the cave was created thousands of years in the past, Horse Cave having been built around it later, in the 1850s. The name comes from the flowing river inside which doesn’t allow for any stalactite or stalagmite formations, but instead houses many species of fauna that are specific to caves, such as the cavefish or the eyeless crayfish. This underground system is one of the largest in the state and has a border with the Mammoth Cave, although experts from the ACCA (American Cave Conservation Association) claim that they will sooner or later connect naturally. Some of the perks of having this underground creation in Horse Cave is that there is a continuous supply of cold water, and, during hotter months, the large opening also acts as a natural air conditioner. Those, coupled with the shade provided by the trees grown by the entrance, make the entryway a popular gathering place during summer.

Activities to look forward to

When visiting the cave, there are many activities you can take part in. You can opt for tours, adventure-type activities, and more leisurely options that include strolling about and listening to those who are there to tell you about the interesting events the cave has been through. Even if there are no interestingly-shaped formations to examine, inside you’ll find cave-dwelling creatures, domes, caverns, and many other spaces and crevices that are history-rich, including the remnants of the water pump that used to provide drinking water and electrical power for the townspeople.

Thrilling Options

To step down into the cave you’ll have to take the 230-step staircase, and pick one of the tour options provided by the ACM (American Cave Museum):

• The Public Guided Tour – Lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, these tours don’t call for pre-scheduling. You’ll be crossing the world’s longest bridge that runs underground and follows the river, which takes you into the Sunset Dome, the biggest one in the U.S. that is also free-standing. This tour includes historical facts, stories about the city, and a look at the mechanical remnants, the fauna, and the flora of the cave.
• The Adventure Tour I – Lasting 3 hours, this one will give you a taste of what wild caving is like. You will, however, have to make a reservation 2 days ahead. Prepare an outfit that you don’t care for but that can also keep you warm, as you’ll be getting muddy while you explore by crawling around.
• The Adventure Tour II – Lasting 5 hours, this tour is the best possible experience if you’re trying to see everything there is to see. As with the previous option, this tour calls for a 2 days’ notice for reservation-making. We recommend that, other than an outfit similar to the one we described before, you also get appropriate footwear to keep everything dry and comfortable for the duration of 5 hours, both will help you focus on the close-up experience.

If you need an adrenaline booster, the 30 miles per hour ziplining across the 70 feet high sinkhole entrance or the rappelling down the 75-foot tall limestone walls might be good picks.

Toned-down Options

For lighter activities that won’t take too much energy, there’s always the option of visiting the museum to find out more about geology, archeology, wildlife, and history through interactive exhibits, or you could take the awarded phone tour above the cave that can show you the pathways you would be in if you were walking underground.

History

As you might be thinking, everything mentioned thus far hasn’t always been this way. Although not much is known about how the cave’s discovery happened, records show that people were exploring it as early as the 1800s. To make its history easier to follow, we’ll go through the known events chronologically:

• 1908 – The constructions on the land above are bought by a local dentist named Dr. Thomas, therefore the cave is owned by him.
• 1900s – The cave becomes the town’s water supply due to a water pump (a hydroelectric generator) installed on the river’s flow. Dr. Thomas’ action brought the town on the map as well, thanks to the power it supplied, getting it among the first to have lights that were powered electrically.
• 1916 – Due to its natural air conditioning abilities, the cave becomes an attraction, and so, touring starts to take place.

Garbage Disposal and Sewage

While the river provided fresh water and power to light up the city, the citizens were busy using the cave in ways that did nothing to benefit them. As the inside of the cave was out of plain sight, many thought of it as an ad-hoc garbage and sewage disposal system, throwing in anything that wasn’t of use anymore and clogging up the passages, wells, and any other ‘empty space’. This escalated to the point where the quality of the water was unsalvageable, in the 1930s, and the smells were so off-putting that touring had to be stopped, in 1943.

Local industries were just as comfortable with this practice, and many spilled their sewage in the cave as well. Even with the construction of a sewage treatment plant in 1963 things weren’t looking up, as the waste coming from it was dumped in wells that connected to the underground passages, thus having the cleaning process go nowhere. Year by year, the whole situation only got higher in terms of pollution, 1975 being a notable one because of a huge leak from a gasoline tank into the underground system. Only when this problem started affecting other area caves did the government begin to address the situation by issuing Horse Cave with daily fines of thousands of dollars.

Pollution’s Effect on the Cave’s Ecosystem

With pollution levels being this high and stretching over a couple of decades, it was only natural that the fauna inside the cave, which thrived due to the flow of the river, eventually died out. The reasons were mainly the toxicity of the water, the lack of oxygen, and the horrendous smells, and it didn’t take long for the ecosystem to be disrupted because the types of fish and other living beings that reside in caves require a very stable environment to thrive.

Remedying the Pollution

In 1987, the ACCA decided to relocate to Horse Cave, and, as enough is enough, they started working on getting rid of the pollution in the Hidden River and improving the conditions inside the cave so that the ecosystem could thrive again. To do all that, they started with cleaning initiatives that involved some citizens as well, and seeing as things started to pick up, the ACCA announced in 1987 that they are staying for good. In 1989 there was a second try with a sewage treatment plant, and this time it was thought out properly, thus the cave went from the worst condition imaginable to the most pristine in quite a short time (fast-forward to 2015, research showed that the quality of the water is slowly getting back to being drinkable).

Reviving the Tours

To regain the attention of tourists, ACCA built the American Cave Museum sometime in the 1990s and managed to bring back the excitement that was once filling up the city. With a new and organized way of touring and by providing new types of entertainment for the visitors, the Hidden River started becoming highly sought out by cave enthusiasts.

Conclusion

If you ever happen to stumble into Horse Cave, you’ll know you need to take time to visit the wonderful underground system of the Hidden River Cave. And, who knows, maybe you’ll make some memories to last a lifetime.

T he idea of mounted forces comes from way back during early wars when the only fast and reliable methods of transportation were domesticated horses. The first formally named unit resembling today’s ones was the London’s Bow Street Horse Patrol, recorded in 1758. Later on, during the 1800s and 1850s more such units were formed in countries like Ireland, Australia, India, and more. The first city in the U.S. to create a special department for mounted officers in the year 1871 was New York City, and, in 1873, the States’ northern neighbor Canada creates a similar department, which will later be known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. From the 50s all the way to the 70s, Boston shows the best results when integrating mounted officers in parks, public events, riots, and even crisis situations.

Nowadays, there aren’t as many horses present in the police force as there once were. NYPD’s unit remains the largest, with approximately 50 animals on duty, requiring as much as 8 million dollars during a year to maintain proper functionality. Chicago and Boston are close runner-ups, their units having over 30 steeds each. The reason why their numbers are falling is the current ongoing movement to defund the police, following Black Lives Matter protests and surfacing cases of police brutality. Defunding usually hits the mounted units first, as the activities of training, riding initiation, and maintenance work aren’t exactly cheap, and what happens to the horses that are discharged is that they are usually either sent to other stations or farms, sold or auctioned, donated for therapy work, or they are returned to the people who chose to donate them in the first place.

What is the point of police horses?

Now that we’ve established a very short history of how these units came to be, we’ll continue by discussing the point of police horses. Why they are used, the benefits, and also the drawbacks.

For many, seeing a patrolling officer on a horse is not an extremely common occurrence, but even for those who do see them often, the encounter is something that tends to stay with them for a couple of days. Horses are, after all, magnificent creatures, both on account of their physique and pleasant demeanor. It is said that one mounted officer’s work equals that of 10 on-ground officers. The average number of hours in a shift is of 10 hours, and the main situations engaged in are:

• Crowd Control: Riding allows for more flexibility than cars or motorcycles, and the animal can either act as a barrier to contain a crowd, or they can be maneuvered through to reach problematic groups. To allow easy control and comfort for both the horse and the officer, departments invest in qualitative horse saddles that allow more movement during situations that require quick-thinking.
• Rescue Missions: Horses are especially helpful during rescue missions in remote areas, as the added visibility thanks to the extra height and the ability to enter thick flora can come quite handy for the officers, and there’s also the stamina that’s higher than that of a human. All those aspects combined result in wider coverage, fewer resources used (patrol cars, officers), and less time spent finding the missing person.
• Barrier Breakers: During peaceful events or normal patrolling duty, mounted units often report a higher number of citizens willing to interact with them, even if only to ask to pet the horse. (Always ask for permission before petting a police horse.) This way, some of the invisible barriers can be broken more easily, resulting in a higher chance of collecting new information.
• Other: Activities can also include the patrolling of recreational spaces, engaging in ceremonial performances, or acts of service (such as happy birthday wishes to certain citizens).

Although the College of Policing has said the following: “research in public order situations has shown that horses have a pacifying effect on crowds and officers can better monitor crowds from their vantage point. Horses have been shown to disperse crowds and reassure residents and may bring a swifter end to public disorder”, there are also some downsides when employing equines in the force. The officer, the citizens, and the animal’s well-being can be at risk with improper handling. A simple example could be that when mounted officers engage in kettling to deal with unruly crowds certain participants could distress (smoke bombs, objects being thrown, hitting) the animal in such a way that it might cause panic, others could get trampled, the officer could get thrown off, and the horse might even hurt itself. In this type of situation, proper equipment such as a horse riding helmet is a must for the handler. Another downside that is exclusive to the animal is that injuries could mean the end of a horse’s life, seeing as a break in a leg bone cannot heal and euthanasia is the only humane approach.

What kind of horses do police use?

The main ways of getting a new horse into a department are either relying on public donations or buying the animal. But, regardless of the means of acquiring, the breeds chosen are typically drafts, draft mixes, combinations (e.g. half thoroughbred and half draft), or various working breeds. The age varies as well, from 2 years old up to even 15, since other aspects like its temperament and future main attributes are taken into consideration.

To give specific names, these are 5 of the most commonly used breeds:

1. The Belgium: 17 hands high | stout build | calm, with a good work ethic
2. The Percheron: 16-17 hands high | highly muscular build | a calm demeanor, and receptive during training
3. The Hanoverian: 15-17 hands high | athletic build | bold and with plenty of charm, it can adapt to any environment
4. The Thoroughbred: 16 hands high | lean build | a more challenging type, but fiery and able to develop many skills
5. The Dutch Warmblood: 15-16 hands high | muscular build | quick to act and steady on its feet, good for activities requiring precision work


Police Patrol During Traffic Control

Are police horses specially trained?

Horses, like any other animal integrated into society for a certain kind of work (think seeing-eye dogs, therapy pets, and so on), are heavily trained beforehand, and so are their future officer handlers, to ensure that no accidents happen because either of the two isn’t ready for upcoming tasks. A great part of the training of these animals implies desensitizing them and getting them used to both the common and uncommon situations that they might take part in during patrols. Some ease into desensitizing by mingling their steeds with cattle. Then, as they get comfortable and learn that they can herd the cattle, they advance to dealing with humans. People of all ages, groups, talking, yelling, screaming children, and parents with strollers are used during training, and after they get accustomed to the common noises coming from people, the horses can be taught how to walk through crowds while simultaneously making sure to not step on anyone. After the human part is taken care of, then come the more intense noises and lights (traffic, construction, firecrackers, guns, music), and even objects such as bikes, cars, trucks, etc. For those that might be assigned to remote locations or the countryside, walking through mist, water, smoke, jumping, and galloping might also be included in their training program.

These lessons can be delivered either in specialized academies or in the precinct’s stables (if there are any) by accredited trainers. Even after entire months of training, mounted officers don’t start directly in challenging environments, but instead, they are assigned to recreational areas or ceremonial practices to ease into the job.

Are police horses well taken care of?

With everything about the job being a bit clearer now, you’re probably wondering what the treatment looks like inside this department and what happens when they’re off duty. To underline what we mentioned before, these animals are very important tools in this line of work and a good amount of money goes into keeping them healthy, comfortable, well-fed, well-groomed, and exercised accordingly. Part of what keeps the animals comfortable includes the uniform worn by their handler, so besides head and body-protecting gear mounting officers also have to wear horse riding boots that won’t hurt the horse when they’re nudged with the heel the way regular, heavy police uniform shoes might. More often than not, if a steed is assigned to only one officer, attachment starts to develop (although this isn’t advised) and that results in a higher guarantee that the horse is being taken care of, both by the staff tasked with maintenance and the respective officer (this is the case in Texas, where officers themselves trim their horses’ hooves, as their unit is the only one to keep the animals shoe-free).

When off duty, the animals can spend their time in different ways, depending on what the department can provide. For example, the LAPD has a facility especially designated to their horses, where they have stables, an arena, and many other amenities. For those living in the countryside, taking the steed home is also a common practice, just as one would with a police dog. The activities during free days can include training, exercising, getting groomed, or simply relaxing.

To wrap it up

No one can give a specific time for when mounted units will cease to exist, but one thing is for certain. Seeing a policeman doing the usual rounds on an elegant horse leaves a bigger impact on a city’s inhabitants than seeing a police car or motorcycle driving by.