Mounted and Riot police...

mmmmm holly hocks interesting view and mmmm you prob have a closer knwledge but my experience of mounted police is nothing but praise - the bond the rider and horse must have to trust each other shows for the horse to go and work as they do . Ok they are stabled 24/7 ( im very much a natural horse owner BTW) is not ideal but eh horses suffer worse lives dumped 24/7 with no food or water. Horses have given thier all to humans down through the ages and we owe alot to the amzing animal and I guess this is just another path the horse is taking with humans and a much needed path - lol having been to many football matches ohhhhhh the supporters respect the horse - seen it many many times and always made me smile :) I say keep the good work up Mounted Police you are a valuable part of the force often helping to brea down barrirs in communities esp inner cities
 
TheEquineOak said:
Not all yards are like the one described above

Kirkley Hall is round the corner from me and the police horses there have acres of turnout.

I wonder if police horses are alternated?
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That's good to hear - I suppose with me being in the inner city, they are all the same...perhaps the city horses could put in for a transfer? LOL!!

The Met horses used to get two weeks off a year when they were turned out. Don't know if it's still the same now - it's a few years since I worked down there.
 
babymare said:
mmmmm holly hocks interesting view and mmmm you prob have a closer knwledge but my experience of mounted police is nothing but praise - the bond the rider and horse must have to trust each other shows for the horse to go and work as they do . Ok they are stabled 24/7 ( im very much a natural horse owner BTW) is not ideal but eh horses suffer worse lives dumped 24/7 with no food or water. Horses have given thier all to humans down through the ages and we owe alot to the amzing animal and I guess this is just another path the horse is taking with humans and a much needed path - lol having been to many football matches ohhhhhh the supporters respect the horse - seen it many many times and always made me smile :) I say keep the good work up Mounted Police you are a valuable part of the force often helping to brea down barrirs in communities esp inner cities
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Yep, the football grounds never liked it when the horses were sent galloping onto the pitch - although that was always a last resort!! All that hard work of maintaining the ground destroyed in a few seconds by the thundering of hooves.
 
lol my experience was outside pubs and hey the respect they got was amazing and often as drunken(and i do assure you i wasnt one of drunken ones) as some maybe they would stop at horse stroke it have a laugh with officer and stumble on but if there was trouble boy did they move if horses were brought in lol brilliant animals brillantly ridden and more forces should have them - I believe the inner city horses still have thier holidays ( but do correct me if wrong) and retired off to good homes when the time comes for them - so so wish I had followed my dream the ummmmmmmm 32 years ago cough cough am I really that old - I wanted to join mounted force but as had to do 2 years on beat and being so young all I wanted was horses horses horses everyday ***** sits and sighs **** :) xx
 
I have been saved by horses a couple of times when on duty at football matches, they are a fantastic tool when used properly but I can't help thinking that their time may be coming to an end.
I have also ridden some of the horses at a mounted sections headquarters when I was deciding if mounted police was a direction I wanted to go in.
When I was there they seemed to have a lot of horses either being rested or at vetinary hospitals due to leg problems.

I think that their role should be more PR outside pubs and clubs and at community events and use the armoured cars which the Met seem to have found for the recent problems for riot duty.
 
I have had quite a lot of experience of Police Horses and riots, and my view is that the horses should not be put in these sort of situations. I'd rather the Police used armoured 4x4's like the RUN and army did in NI. It's safer for the Police and horses.

Horses are ok in ceremonial situations, but nower days I think riots are no place for horses, effective or not.
 
I have had quite a lot of experience of Police Horses and riots, and my view is that the horses should not be put in these sort of situations. I'd rather the Police used armoured 4x4's like the RUC and army did in NI. It's safer for the Police and horses.

Horses are ok in ceremonial situations, but nower days I think riots are no place for horses, effective or not.
 
I had heard that mounted police were brilliant at moving on drug dealers in King's Cross, because the horses could follow them more effectively than a patrol car and were more intimidating than a bike. The dealers would surface from the tube, see a police horse, and turn tail.
I think they have a role for this; riots I'm less sure about.
 
I have been to police horse stables numerous times in the past. We were show around (was with a group).The officers explained that during the miners strikes in the 1970s the horses wore less equipment to protect them and the favorite trick of the protesters was to throw slates at the horses legs to slice tendons. That is why they now wear boots!
 
I think that the intimidating sight of Police horses thundering down torwards a group of protesters was awesome. I remember years ago when I was in the Met, part of our training was shield training, sone if us would role play the protesters and, god, did we shift when the horses charged torwards us!!!! Modern day riot policing seems to have got more thuggish (correct me if I'm wrong) and the real yob culture hell bent on violence are not so intimidated by the horses as they used to :( :(

Only my observations from the comfort of my sofa!!
 
"When I was in the Met..." If I had a penny for every time I heard that!
Love the horse - make ground quickly, but you've got to be careful they don't get isolated. Like all cavalry, they need infantry support. Not that the crowd are likely to form square.
 
Cadfael&Coffee said:
Haha should bloody hope so!!!

And Tbf, a lightweight but reinforced full exercise sheet would more than do the job, but again, if it's not needed then indeed, why bother.

I suppose as well, most city thugs will be terrified of horses!!!
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Agree, if it has kevlar reinforcement it should be cut proof like the kevlar gloves
 
I agree with Pale Rider, dont' put the horses in riot situations, get the water cannon out, that will disperse thugs who are bent on trouble.
 
Pale Rider said:
I have had quite a lot of experience of Police Horses and riots, and my view is that the horses should not be put in these sort of situations. I'd rather the Police used armoured 4x4's like the RUN and army did in NI. It's safer for the Police and horses.

Horses are ok in ceremonial situations, but nower days I think riots are no place for horses, effective or not.
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the more I've looked at footage etc, the more and more i am now agreeing with this, though i do think there's a place for them outside pubs etc in city centres- i know the ones in Liverpool do wonders just by being there

and ive realised that the reason they looked so naked this time, is that the last time i saw them was December, when they has hi vis exercise sheets on!! which would make sense lol

:):):)
 
except that one is a sport, albeit practice for the horses real job, and the other is an actual use for a horse.

by that account you may as well ask me if i agree with sending horses onto the battlefront, in which case the answer is an absolute no!!

and what about dogs being used in warfare? is that right?

everything is related, but in this case i was interested in the protection used on a certain type of horse in a certain type of job in this country, which isn't a sport.
 
Cadfael&Coffee said:
except that one is a sport, albeit practice for the horses real job, and the other is an actual use for a horse.

by that account you may as well ask me if i agree with sending horses onto the battlefront, in which case the answer is an absolute no!!

and what about dogs being used in warfare? is that right?

everything is related, but in this case i was interested in the protection used on a certain type of horse in a certain type of job in this country, which isn't a sport.
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No Either you or I misunderstood her post, I think she meant its practical as horses in hot climates wear body armour????
 
Cadfael&Coffee said:
Ah ok- we've read it differently!! In that case it's completely relevant, obviously!!! Sorry lol am reading only way to work :)
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I am not sure?? Maybe I misinterpreted .... Must say the vids I posted on your thread the horses seemed really scared and it must bloody hurt having wood thrown at you, I would like to see them less able to move and hot and protected than naked against such violence?? XX
 
Police horses should defo be traiend to kick and rear on command. That would terrify the city folk!!

I hate the use of them in the force. I dont think ive ever seen happy police horses. Not really happy. Why we subject these beautiful creatures to bombs/ knives etc when we dont have to any more i dont know. I think they served their duty, but now we have so many cars/ riot vans etc... i dont know what a horse can do that a huge riot van cant!!!

I think patrolling the streets is another thing. Horses are more agile and perhaps quicker around a city than any car. and more daunting than a bike....

I also dont like that horses, by their nature, are flight animals, yet are taught to stand there through anything, part of me thinks they must be so so scared inside, but perhaps darent run??? I dont know?!?! 7

My stepmum was in the mounted police but left quite quickly :/ Shes still in the force, but not anywhere near horses.
 
Samantha008 said:
I hate the use of them in the force. I dont think ive ever seen happy police horses. Not really happy. .
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REALLY?! I've been to quite a few premier league football matches at Manchester Utd and Newcastle and the horses have always looked like they were leading the life of Riley! Standing there absolutely gleaming, getting petted by all the kids. Last summer in Mancs city centre there was a mounted officer standing next to an ice cream van - the ice cream van man gave him and his horse a free ice cream, horse looked to be thoroughly enjoying it :D and again, lots of petting from the tourists and kids.

My OH has a season ticket at Manchester United so goes to every single match (including testimonials lol), and being a complete football geek has been to matches at; Chelsea, Middlesborough, Sunderland, Newcastle, Birmingham, Tottenham, Man City, etcetcetc, and has never comes across any trouble more than the Middlesborough fans swearing at the utd fans getting off the coach. He says he always likes to see the horses there, and agrees they're pretty much no more than just a presence, but usually surrounded by dads & kids asking to stroke the horse :) but agrees he "wouldn't mess with one!"

All the police horses I've ever seen (in city centre and at all the matches I've been to) look very well cared for, definately put my stable management to shame! With ears pricked, good condition etc.
 
Samantha008 said:
I hate the use of them in the force. I dont think ive ever seen happy police horses. Not really happy..
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In fact, I'd say police horses seem a lot more chilled and "happy" than the majority of competition horses and race horses you see. I bet the prevalence of stable vices like weaving is a lot lower on a mounted police horse yard than a top level showjumping or dressage yard.
 
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