Home Welcome to The HOOFS Fund, a 501(c)3 organization supporting the health, safety & well-being of police horses.
Pacific with USPP Ofc. Mariea Clowers
Remembering Pacific, Talented and Brave Longtime Veteran of USPP
Pacific, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred
gelding, who had served with the United States Park Police in Washington, D.C., since 2002, succumbed to hoof-related
injuries in January 2010. He competed regularly in Police Equestrian
competitions, performed in the Musical Ride, and was a favorite with locals and
visitors alike on the National Mall and trails around Washington, DC.
Pacific loved wading
into a huge crowd of people; feeling them pressing against his side calmed him.
He enjoyed providing a police presence at loud concerts, playing with the huge
soccer ball used for crowd control training, and having his butt
scratched. He was a willing and affectionate show-off who loved having his
picture taken.
Whether wearing protective gear during violent
demonstrations and marches, being fawned over by children, or showing Mounted
Unit recruits how to navigate obstacles, Pacific and Ofc. Mariea Clowers, of
the USPP Edgewater Training Barn, set the Mounted Unit bar high. Talented,
gentle, and brave, Pacific will be missed.
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Behind the Scenes with the London Mounted Police
The HOOFS Fund is interested in the training and operation of mounted police units worldwide. Join us as we get a guided tour of the London Mounted Police Stables and learn what they do, how they do it, and how it has changed (or not) over the years.
By Diane Sullenberger, HOOFS Fund board member
Just a 30-minute train ride from the bustle of downtown London is the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch training unit, where 120 police horses and their current and future officers receive world-class instruction and training.
Inspector Alan Hiscox and Sergeant Paul Agnew welcomed me to the facility at Imber Court in Thames Ditton, Surrey, on a cold and drizzly morning in December 2008, a day before their ceremonial duties escorting the Queen in the traditional parade from Buckingham Palace to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament.
Who Are the Horses?
Lewie, a handsome young gelding in his first few weeks at the Mounted Branch, was one of the first horses to greet me. A gentle giant with hooves as large as dinner plates, he stood patiently in a row of meticulously kept stalls where all the horses have names that begin with "L" to signify their 2008 arrival. Training new horses is a thorough and rigorous program that usually takes six months.
Unlike the U.S. Park Police (USPP) Horse Mounted Patrol Unit, which acquires horses through donations, the London police purchase their horses. Many of them are bay or grey draft crosses from Ireland. Both units have their horses undergo an evaluation period before deciding whether to keep them, either for school or for the street. The horses must prove sound, brave, and willing.
How Are the Horses Trained and Managed?
Established in 1760, the Mounted Branch has a saddlery and a farrier on-site, and police as well as staff trainers. Two large indoor rings, one even larger than the other, and a large outdoor arena are used to school new horses, train new riders, and regularly refresh the skills of experienced officers and their mounts.
Choking clouds of smoke, sounds of gunshots, and flames of fire are just some of the many obstacles the horses and riders must face without flinching before they can be deployed for patrol, demonstrations, football matches, ceremonial detail, and other assignments.
The unit showcases their skill, timing, and agility in the world-renowned Activity Ride. For 8 to 10 minutes at a canter, horses and riders jump over obstacles and through rings of fire while the riders remove their jackets, then stirrups, and, finally, saddles, which they hold aloft in one hand, still cantering over jumps. The unit often performs the ride on invitation and the horses will travel by ferry to perform the ride next in Ireland and Amsterdam.
The Police Horse Place in History
Like the USPP, the Mounted Branch has suffered from budget cuts, public questioning of their purpose, and have seen their numbers reduced from 200 to 120 horses. The Mounted Branch is lucky to have the attention of the Queen, though, with her fondness of horses and the duties they perform, which are deeply rooted in tradition and history.
As part of that duty and tradition, grey Mounted Branch horses provide daily escort for the cavalry horses known as the Queen's Life Guards. When the Irish Republican Army attacked the Life Guards in 1982 with a large bomb filled with nails, the Mounted Branch stood their ground as chaos erupted.
In the end, 4 officers and 7 horses lost their lives and many others were injured. Among the countless historical artifacts at the Mounted Branch museum at Imber Court, some items dating back a hundred years or more, the photos of the bomb scene were the most somber.
For their brave and stalwart service, the London Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch horses, like the USPP horses, need your support to ensure the continued success of the unit and the safety and well-being of the dedicated horses that protect the nation.
Jaguar is one of the horses who received a Supracor saddle pad to protect his back during training class. (photo: The HOOFS Fund)
HOOFS Fund Donates Special Saddle Pads to Protect Backs of Police Horses
The HOOFS Fund recently donated a dozen special saddle pads to help prevent back injuries among horses serving in a Washington, D.C., class for police officers who were learning to ride. Learn more>
Grooming Tools for Police Horses Sent to Former Soviet Republic of Georgia
The HOOFS Fund recently provided grooming tools to a newly-formed police-horse unit in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, thanks to a donation from Oster. Learn more>
The HOOFS Fund supports the health, safety, and well-being of police horses.
We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization founded by individuals who care for and about police horses.
The boys confer during the 2008 Mardi Gras parade.
USPP horses, officers & HOOFS Fund to Celebrate Mardi Gras
Another Fat Tuesday is almost upon us, and it looks like horses from the U.S. Park Police mounted unit will be making a triumphant return to the annual Clarendon Mardi Gras parade. If you're in the Washington, D.C. area, come out to cheer on the HOOFS Fund and these USPP horses and their officers on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 at the annual parade in Arlington, Va. Jack, Stonewall, and 38 Carat were a huge crowd favorite when they debuted at the parade two years ago. Carat recently retired from the police force to happy pastures in Warrenton, Va., but Jack, Stonewall, and a third horse (tbd) will be on hand. Come on out to greet them and their dedicated officers!
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 Parade starts: 8 pm
Metro Orange Line (Court House or Clarendon stations) Parade route: along Wilson Boulevard (Veitch to Irving) Arlington, VA
One horse sustained minor injuries after colliding with a truck and a police horse was treated for illness before the Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., on January 20. A team led by the U.S. Humane Society (HSUS) responded.
Police horses from D.C., Maryland, and New York helped manage the 1.8 million people who attended the Inauguration. Here's how they prepared.
Watch the WTOP video> Mounted police units from Michigan and Toronto sent 22 horses and officers to march in the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following the swearing-in of President Obama.
Help the HOOFS Fund as we work to reduce bird waste at police-horse stables located on the National Mall and with the disinfection and cleaning of the Edgewater Training Facility in Washington, D.C., where up to 25 police horses live and train. Learn more>
