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How mounts are trained and cared for.
BASIC
CARE OF THE SAN JOSE POLICE MOUNT
A BRIEF
DISCUSSION OF DIET, SHOES AND BLANKETS
Simply put, horses are similar to people when it  comes to diet and care. A horses’
diet consists of forage which comes in various styles, oat hay,
alphala, grass hay, or various mixes. Depending on the size of
the horse and their dietary needs the amount is based on weight.
Naturally, you don’t want to over feed them, but you don’t want to
underfeed  them.
As a rule, the horses’ are fed twice a day, once in the morning and
once at night. Usually, ten to fifteen pounds of forage each
time.
Along with the forage some of the horses’ will receive “supplements”
with their morning meal, these vary, but the easiest way to think of
them are as vitamins for horses’. Just as people sometimes take
vitamins to assist their diets, so do horses’.
The working police mount has the same days off as their assigned
officer, and during this time they are allowed to play with their
working horse friends in several turnout fields at the stables.
This gives them a break from  their work schedule and gives them the
opportunity to have a snack of the grass field within the turnout area.
Each horse will receive a new set of shoes based upon the growing
rate of their hooves. The hooves of horses are similar to
fingernails of people, just as some grow faster than others the
schedule of shoeing with vary with each horse. Typically, the
horse is on shoeing schedule of 8 to 10 weeks, depending on the
horse. There is a civilian farrier that will take care of the
horses’ needs. The shoeing of a horse is a complicated process
that a professional must take care of. The mounted officers do
not shoe the horses, but have the knowledge of the process and can take
care of the horse should they have a loose shoe, or need to remove the
shoe until the farrier arrives. Shoes for  horses come in many different styles and
composition, based upon the needs of the horse and the discipline of
the riding style. Typically, the San Jose Police mount will use a
steel shoe with a borium wash on the toe and heel to aid in traction
when walking on hard surfaces, such as sidewalks.
Blankets for horses come in many different styles and thickness and are
used for various needs of the horse. The San Jose Police mount
are not body clipped as is done in different disciplines of the
competitive horse world. Their body hair is allowed to grow
naturally and when the weather changes the horses body compensates for
this change.
During a typical work week, when the mounted officer arrives for
their first day of work they will clean and groom their mount to
present the best possible image. At the end of their work day,
the mounted officer may use a “sheet” to cover their mount, which will
help keep the horses’ body clean for when they return to work the next
day, therefore reducing the grooming time of the mount so the mounted
officer will be able to return to work sooner. Once again,
“sheets” come in various styles and textures, but are essentially
thinner than blankets. |
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