New pet project -Does any K9 unit out there know of any cross training that has taken place with equestrian units, the reason I am asking is because we are contemplating training k9 tracking handlers as riders and using them as response teams on follow up operations with cattle theft and farm murders here.

What type of horse ( breed) would you suggest? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Any links or suggestions welcome
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http://www.mountedpolice.com has an extensive link list. perhaps you can find some help there.

Reiner
Unlike dogs, there is not a breed or specific bloodline best suited for mounted police work.
Granted, there are many types of horses. In the US the American Quarter Horse (commonly referred to as quarter horse) is probably the most prevalent. Alot of quarter horses come from ranches and farms where their primary function is working cattle.
Paint Horses are popular also. Most paint horses are mixtures of quarter horses and will hold alot of the same qualities. The difference between the two is coat color and markings.
As far as looking for horses suitable for mounted police work, I would first look at the people who you intend to train for riders. Do any of them have experience riding a horse? There is a difference between riding a horse in open country and riding a horse in Boy Scout camp!
Scout Camp horses already know the trail they are taking and will head back to the barn no mater what the rider wants him to do <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
A horse being considered for open country riding should be well broke and the rider should have some experience with riding. Horses should be able to cross creeks and shallow rivers, be able to stand still when you dismount to go through gates, they should not spook if they kick up a rabbit in tall grass, they should be sure footed on steep or rocky terrain.
All the above-mentioned are just the basics of general horsemanship, there is much, much more.
I am new to the dog community, but I have grown up around and own several horses. I am also interested in equestrian/K9 team tracking.
I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have on this subject.

Greg

This is a question, and not a statement.

Wouldn't a hunt bred horse be better than a trail, ranch, or cattle bred horse? Due to the fact that the cattle bred horse, or ranch horse, tends to be a bit more predator focused. Dogs can be an issue with some of these horses??

While the Hunter is bred to work around dogs. Shyness or any issue with dogs is a major fault and thus nearly completely eliminated in the lines??


Just tossing it out? I know dicky about horses.

A good WORKING BRED stock horse should be quite comfortable around dogs because many work with and around farm/stock dogs. I would rate a good WORKING Bred Quarter Horse as tops for most any type of work. Quarter Horses are just like GSDs. You have a true WORKING Bred Quarter Horse, a Racing bred Quarter Horse, a Show Bred Quarter Horse, a competition cutting bred Quarter Horse, etc. In the horse world I would say the WORKING Bred Quarter Horse is the equvilant of a Working GSD in the dog world. JMHO!

Osage Beach Mo. has more horses on their SAR team than dogs. Mainly because of terrain.

Have to agree with Greg here, you had better have a horse that is well broke, and use to all sorts of unexpected things and critters cropping up from the underbrush. I know the horse possee down in Florida was all voulenteer and so all kinds of breeds were there. I grew up with quarter horses, but when I was in my thirtys I became interested in Tennessee Walking Horses. If you have to be in the saddle anywhere from 5 to 8 hours I really preferred the gated horse. Robert spoke about the hunter horse.A lot of the hunter horses are thoroughbred crosses, they also use the warmbloods, for that,or just straight thoroughbreds I am probably going to get some flack for this, but to me the quarter horse has a lot more real horse sense than any thoroughbred out there, they cross a thoroughbred and a quarter horse and they call that combination an appendix.And they can do it all.

Robert, we imprinted all our babies, and they had a lot of round pen work. We use to put down plastic tarps for them to have to walk over, we would put wind-mills at different places around the round pens, and plastic trash bags filled with empty cans, that would make a heck of a racket, and the dogs were always a part of the training. So a lot of time is spent getting a horse trail ready, and most important trail safe. We also had to teach the horses crowd control.

So I guess that just about any breed can be used as a posse horsethat works with dogs,it boils down to training and rider.

You all have most likely guessed that next to my dogs, my horses were another big love of my life. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

God Bless To All

Hmmm, Well I wouldn't necessarily go for a specific breed of horse. I would base evaluations for a mounted canidate as you would evaluate a dog for a working prospect. There are many horse breeds which would be suitable.I do not know how available quater horses are in your area, you may even consider Arabians( duarable, fast, easy keepers) if they are of the heavier boned type, or a variety of the warmbloods...

Are there mounted units already in South Africa? I'm sure that they can help you with horse selection if there are...

My experience is that many horses are completely unfazed by dogs. I used to ride all the time with a fabulous doberman out on trails for hours...some horse though, HATE dogs. If that is the case you usually know it! You will see the pinned ears and the rear end looking for the chance to decapitate the dog! Or the charge with teeth bared, etc!!

I strongly agree that the riders must be riders to begin with OR have a natural ability that they never knew they had! I have spent many a day laughing with my horse friends at the NYC mounted police academy trainees! I was friends with the captain there years ago( he has been deceased for MANY years now). He stabled his personal horse at the barn where I had my horse... I often watched the new cadets bouncing all over the saddle as they tried to ride down the bridle paths!! They looked stiff and uncomfortable to say the least! My feeling from way back then was( and still is) always that equestrian experience and proficiency should be a selection criteria for any mounted cop.

Good luck! In conclusion I would say if your idea is properly executed, it should be very successful! The horse/rider/k9 team is a natural fit!!

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Wow – thanks to one and all, I can see that I am way out of my league here, yes we have many riders, clubs, organisations here, but non training or even some one utilising this concept provisionally, yes every one can tell me a story or two about some one some where some how of friends and acquaintances that have a dog running with a horse – especially hunting with dogs on horse back .But no one can tell me from experience that this is how it aught to be done or should be done. Watch out for x y and z, if the components are all estranged so to speak, and need to be put together like a jigsaw puzzle, does this give you a better idea of where I am in the woods.

Well let me paint the picture and give it some colour, well horses and breeds we have plenty , Anglo-Arabians, freesias, Boerperd, and Nooitgedagt etc. So what I should have asked is, would a warm or a cold horse be prevalent, cold over hot in the expert opinion, I am doing this survey from both ends of the line, equestrian and k9 unit expert ends , I would like, or hope to arrive in the middle with an amicable solution, or method so to speak, so that I do not have to pay a lot of school fees here.

Horses are cheap so are dogs , but when you have a trained horse, and want to pair them up with a trained dogs, of which both have never seen or lived with the one and other let alone worked together, loosing one or the other will be deemed catastrophic in the light of the time money and effort spent raising and training theses animals.

As for riders on the K9 unit we have two farm boys that ride horses weekly, so that will be a start. Any more suggestions or people you think I should or could contact.?

Morgans are a nice hearty breed. Good strong workers and can last for hours and durable. Just a suggestion