The Ten-Foot Cops
By Terri Estes
Since 1858, the NYC Police Department’s mounted unit has helped to keep our streets safe. The mounted police officer has a 10-foot view of his surroundings and can cover ground much faster than an officer on foot. But have you ever wondered where the NYPD gets their horses? Well, believe it or not, many of them are donated. The NYPD also buys horses at auction in Pennsylvania. I have been to this auction, and it is not always a pretty scene. Meat buyers are bidding against rescue groups and others who want to give horses a second chance. Many fine and able horses fall into the wrong hands at this auction. All NYPD horses are geldings (fixed males), and all are generally around 10 years old when they start their new career.
The breed of the horse doesn’t matter, nor does the color. The NYPD prefers the horses to be between 15.3-16.2 hands tall. A hand is the four-inch measurement used to measure the height of a horse from withers to ground. The most important thing about the potential police horse is the temperament. They must be calm and levelheaded. This horse is going to be asked to step out into the bustling streets of New York City, with cab horns blaring and buses roaring by. They are going to be expected to keep calm while surrounded by mobs of people. It is not the type of environment that a horse is typically used to being in.
Once the horse makes the cut, they go through vigorous training for six months to a year at a facility in the Bronx. When they are finished with their training, they are paired with a mounted officer. The police officer and horse work together every day and a strong bond is formed. They learn each other’s signals and cues and learn to trust and depend on each other. They will stay partners until it’s time for one of them to retire.
Besides protecting the citizens and visitors of NYC, the mounted units serve as ambassadors for the New York City Police Department. They share a unique responsibility of representing New York City and its law enforcement to the rest of the world. People view a cop on a horse as much more approachable than one in a patrol car. Locals and visitors alike love to pet police horses, and that one interaction with a cop and his horse can have a long-lasting positive affect.
When the time comes for the horses to retire, these members of New York’s finest are often sent to private facilities in New Jersey and Upstate New York where they can live out their golden years.
