All about Pittsburgh’s police horses

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Ask Kelly: All about Pittsburgh’s police horses

ACCOMPLISHES A LOT. THIS MAY BE HOW YOU’RE USED TO SEEING THE POLICE HORSES. SINCE THE MOUNTED UNIT WAS REINSTATED BACK IN 2017, IT HAS BEEN A MAINSTAY AT ALL OF THE BIG PITTSBURGH EVENTS LIKE THE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE THAT JUST CAME AND WENT. BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT ON ANY GIVEN DAY, THESE HORSES ARE ON PATROL IN VARIOUS PITTSBURGH NEIGHBORHOODS. EVEN THE CITY ITSELF, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER OFFICER. THIS IS A GREAT PR TOOL, I’LL TELL YOU, I’VE. I’VE BEEN ON THE JOB FOR 24 YEARS AND THERE’S NOTHING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE OUT LIKE THESE ANIMALS DO. UH, WALT JONES IS ONE OF ONLY TWO FULL TIME OFFICERS WITH THE MOUNTED UNIT. JAMIE BUSH IS THE OTHER. TOGETHER, ALONG WITH EIGHT PART TIME OFFICERS, THEY OVERSEE SIX DRAFT HORSES WITH TOBY HERE AT THE LEAD, WE WOULD CONSIDER HIM LIKE OUR LEAD HORSE. HE IS THE BEST ALL AROUND HORSE. THE OTHER MEMBERS ARE MAX, SPIRIT, CANNONBALL, MUNCH AND REGGIE. THEY LOOKED AT TOBY FOR TRAINING AND GUIDANCE. SOME OF THE LITTLE HORSES THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE SKITTISH, SO THEY NEED THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF SEEING HIM GO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GO. THE DRAFT HORSES LARGE IN STATURE THAN MOST OTHER HORSES AT A MINIMUM OF 16 HANDS, ARE TYPICALLY BRED FOR THIS KIND OF WORK. BUT BEFORE THEY CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR THE MOUNTED UNIT, THEY HAVE TO PASS A TEST. THEY’LL MAKE SURE THEY CAN GO FORWARD, BACKWARDS, LEFT TO RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ALL THE BASIC EQUINE MOVEMENTS. BUT AND THEN WE SEE HOW THEY ARE WITH NOISE AND WE’LL TAKE A BUNCH OF US OUT AND SIMULATE A CROWD AND SEE IF THEY’RE WILLING TO, TO GO THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE’LL EVEN CONSIDER TAKING THE HORSE TOGETHER, WALT AND JAMIE TRAIN AND CARE FOR THE HORSES AT THEIR STABLE ON THE NORTH SIDE. 365 DAYS A YEAR. THEY DON’T CARE IF IT’S LIKE ANY HOLIDAY OR CHRISTMAS. YOU GOT TO BE HERE AT 7:00. THE HORSE’S JOB IS THREEFOLD. PATROL, SPECIAL EVENTS, INCLUDING PARADES AND SCHOOL VISITS, AND MORE RARELY, CROWD CONTROL. IF YOU SEE ONE OF THESE COMING, YOU KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. OR IF YOU GET STEPPED ON IT, IT’S GOING TO HURT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, SO THEY’RE VERY GOOD AT CROWD CONTROL. THEY’RE NOT CALLED UPON THAT ROLE VERY OFTEN. BUT WHEN THEY ARE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE HORSES ARE READY AND HAVE A GOOD BOND WITH THEIR RIDERS IN MAY OF 2020, PROTESTERS BURNED A POLICE VEHICLE DOWNTOWN AND THE MOUNTED UNIT WAS CALLED IN TO DISPERSE THE CROWD. WE SENT THE HORSES IN SURROUND THE. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO GET EVERYONE BACK FROM IT. YOU KNOW THAT WAS THE SITUATION. THEY WANTED. NO PARTS OF. BUT THEY DID BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR GUYS ON TOP OF THEM ASKED THEM TO DO IT AND THEY DID IT. MAX WAS HIT BY A STOP SIGN IN THAT INCIDENT, BUT RECOVERED AND IS STILL ON THE JOB. THAT BOND IS SOMETHING THE TEAM WORKS ON DAILY. SO WHEN THOSE BIG MOMENTS COME, THEY’RE READY. IT’S REWARDING WORKING WITH THE ANIMAL, ESPECIALLY AS SMART AS THESE GUYS AND AS BIG AND POWERFUL AS THEY ARE. UM, IT’S JUST IT’S THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. JAMIE HAS BEEN ON THE MOUNTED UNIT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND JUST LIKE THE HORSES, THE OFFICERS ALSO HAVE TO PASS A TEST TO QUALIFY FOR THE MOUNTED UNIT. IT IS MOST ESSENTIAL THAT THEY HAVE GOOD INTUITION ABOUT WHAT THE HORSES ARE THINKING. YOU’RE SEEING WHAT MAKES THEM HAPPY, WHAT MAKES THEM SAD, OR WHAT SCARES THEM. YOU KNOW, AND YOU’RE TRYING TO WORK THEM THROUGH THAT. YOU KNOW, WE ASK THESE ANIMALS TO DO JOBS THAT THEY WOULDN’T TYPICALLY DO. THEY’RE FLIGHT ANIMALS. YOU KNOW? SO IF THEY HEAR A BIG BANG OR SEE SOMETHING SCARY, THEY JUST WANT TO TURN AND RUN, JAMIE SAYS. THESE HORSES TYPICALLY LIVE TO ABOUT 30 YEARS. ONCE THEY HIT THE AGE OF 20, THEY’RE EVALUATED TO SEE IF IT MIGHT BE CLOSE TO RETIREMENT TIME. FAR AND AWAY THEIR MOST IMPORTANT DAY TO DAY JOB IS SERVING AS AMBASSADORS FOR PITTSBURGH POLICE, CONNECTING THEM IN A UNIQUE WAY TO THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE. AND ONCE THEY DO RETIRE, THE TEAM TELLS ME THAT THEY’RE EITHER GIVEN BACK TO THE PERSON WHO PURCHASED THEM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN THE CASE OF A FEW OF THEM, THEY ACTUALLY CAME FROM MEMBERS OF THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS. IF THAT PERSON CAN’T CARE FOR THEM, THEY WOULD BE GIVEN TO A SANCTUARY. AND IN SOME CASES, IF THE OFFICERS HAVE THE ACCOMMODATIONS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, THEN THEY GET TO GO THERE AND HAVE A GOOD RETIREMENT AS WELL. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY DO A LOT OF TOUGH WORK, BUT THEY GET THEY’RE VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. YES, THE TRAINERS TOLD ME THAT THEY FEEL THE HORSES ARE HAPPIEST WHEN THEY’RE WORKING. I LOVE THAT, OFFICER BUSH SAID. IT’S THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. YEAH, AND I

Ask Kelly: All about Pittsburgh’s police horses

This week on “Ask Kelly,” we’re taking a look at the lives of Pittsburgh’s police horses.Kurt Kaskie of Canonsburg asked: How are they trained? Where do they live? And what happens to them when they retire? He says, “They are police officers, and I’m hoping they get to spend their senior years in good care.” Find out more about the lives of Pittsburgh’s police horses.

PITTSBURGH —

This week on “Ask Kelly,” we’re taking a look at the lives of Pittsburgh’s police horses.

Kurt Kaskie of Canonsburg asked: How are they trained? Where do they live? And what happens to them when they retire?

He says, “They are police officers, and I’m hoping they get to spend their senior years in good care.”

Find out more about the lives of Pittsburgh’s police horses.

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