The Lexington Mounted Police Unit just added new horses to the force. What kind of horse? How many horses? When will he/she be on duty?
The Mounted Police Unit in Lexington has added two new horses to the mix, a couple of beautiful male Clydesdales named Winchester and Remington. Surprisingly, they have never been ridden before.
Mayor Linda Gorton took some time out of her busy schedule to meet these magnificent creatures.
“Everyone loves the Clydesdales. They are beautiful, they are very impressive looking horses. Winchester is slightly older. He is turning 6 years old this year. Remington is going to be 5 years old this year,” said Stephanie Keeley, Equine Instructor.
It takes a long time for horses to mature mentally and physically, so the process to get these two Clydesdales out in the field will take some time. The equine instructors goal is to have these horses ready for work within a year.
Keeley says “The focus is on what’s best for the horse and preparing the horse to the best of our ability before we put them out on the street.”
Training will consist of them getting used to loud noises or things that might startle a normal horse. Make sure they are used to these things so they don’t buck off the police officer. They want the horses reaction to be checking in with the instructor or the rider in the future to make sure things are “ok” and then do what the instructor/rider commands.
Lisa Schmidt Stensrud, owner of the Clydesdales from Mt. Sterling, commented on the Police Department’s post about the horses saying “I could never have imagined my boys having such an important job…THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This mama is so incredibly proud of them and honored they can be with you all!!”
This article also appears on page 16 of the April 2019 print edition of Ace Weekly.
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