Jaguar is one of the horses who received a special 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.
Partnering with pad manufacturer Supracor and using funds donated by our supporters, the HOOFS Fund delivered 12 new saddle pads to the unit, which normally retail for $200 each. The pads are made with the same material used to prevent pressure sores among burn patients. They distribute weight evenly over the horse's back, absorbing shock and allowing good air circulation so the horse stays cool and comfortable under saddle. The pads will also be used in the spring 2009 class, starting in February. Horses serving in the 2008 training class included Jaguar, left, along with Bernie, Big Mac, Bing, Commander, Custer, Dancer, Jackson, Moxie, Newcastle, Pacific, Pearl, Walker, and Winchester of the U.S. Park Police, and Buster and Tattoo of the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Prince George's County Division.
Grooming Tools for Police Horses Sent to Former Soviet Republic of Georgia
The HOOFS Fund has donated $850 worth of grooming tools to a newly-formed police-horse unit in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The tools were presented to two Georgian officers, Master Sgt. Levan Pantsulaia and Sgt. Irakli Markozashvili, at their graduation in May 2008 from the U.S. Park Police (USPP) horse-mounted training program.
Most of the tools were donated by Oster to the HOOFS Fund, and the others were purchased using contributions from HOOFS Fund supporters. Oster manufactures a line of high-quality brushes and other grooming tools for horses.
The idea to help the Georgians came about after the U.S. State Department contacted USPP looking for an expert in mounted policing. A USPP officer was sent to Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2007 to evaluate the new mounted unit and found that their needs included such basic equipment as hoof picks and other grooming tools for the horses.
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