While his wife, Ann, trots her Morgan gelding, Bez, in a circle, Jeb Moyer lights the fuses on two Roman candles and fires them off over the pair. Sparks fly, and fireballs shoot skyward, crackle, and explode, but Bez barely flinches. Ann smiles. Bez wasn't always this calm.
Ann Moyer is one of 27 members of the Jackson Hole Police Citizens' Mounted Unit (CMU), volunteers who patrol downtown streets and special events. For two years, Ann has been training Bez to accept the noises, crowds, and movements of the town. The training also has had an unintended consequence: Bez has become a better trail horse.
An awesome 97 percent of the country surrounding Jackson, Wyoming, is rideable federal land. The Snake River, Wind River, Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges, and Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks are the playgrounds of CMU members, who spend much more time on trails than on patrol.
While trail riding, members have noticed a remarkable contrast in performance between their non-police horses and those trained for mounted patrol. Because of this difference, several members now train all of their horses using the CMU techniques.
The training has been transformative. Heidi Hansen took her new 4-year-old Quarter Horse filly through the mounted police training program. Now the filly is more confident and rarely spooks.
Tressa Allen and her 17-hand Dutch Warmblood, Sheldon, are the unit's "strongest pair." Smoke grenades, M-80s, jackhammers, screaming crowds - nothing fazes Sheldon, on the street or on the trail. Allen credits seven years of mounted police training.
As a trail-horse owner, this article can help you recognize the benefits of mounted police desensitization training and incorporate elements into your own training program. We'll give you ground rules, training basics, and a step-by-step technique.
Through mounted police desensitization, your trail horse will learn to manage his emotions and will gain confidence and trust. When he encounters a scary situation, he'll be less likely to react negatively. Generally, the scariness of mounted police desensitization exceeds anything you and your horse will experience on the trail.
To learn more, sign up for a clinic offered by a mounted police trainer in your own community, or find a private trainer to help you. Then watch your trail horse transform!
Ground Rules
Before you begin any type of desensitization training, understand the following ground rules:
• Safety first. If you feel in danger, dismount. Work your horse from the ground until he's comfortable. Note that some exercises and disciplines should be taught only by a professional mounted patrol trainer.
• Watch your pace. Expose your horse only to what he can handle; never push him beyond his limits. Proceed at a pace that helps him succeed.
• Never train alone. Make sure someone is around, even if it's a neighbor watching from afar.
• Repetition is everything. Mounted patrol training is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.
• Choose skills wisely. Some mounted patrol skills - such as formation riding or crowd control - don't directly apply to you as a trail rider, so you can decide whether to learn or skip these.
