Officer On Horseback

The first time Angela Dodge applied for the Minneapolis Police Department’s Mounted Patrol, she fell off the horse and broke her arm.

By Patricia Miller, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: November 6, 2008 - 9:30 AM

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Facts about the Minneapolis Mounted Patrol

1. Any officer can apply for the patrol. No riding experience is necessary.

2. Most of the horses, which are geldings, have been donated.

3. Officers practice shooting their guns from horseback for accuracy and to accustom their horses to the noise.

4. The patrol’s training course lasts six weeks for 10 hours a day and includes equitation, jumping and how to be a cop on horseback.

5. The officers use an endurance saddle, which is a cross between English and Western, but doesn’t have a horn.

6. The patrol isn’t on the streets from December to March, but officers continue riding indoors throughout the winter to keep themselves and their horses in shape.

7. The force includes 10 full-time and 20 part-time officers.

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The first time Angela Dodge applied for the Minneapolis Police Department’s Mounted Patrol, she fell off the horse and broke her arm.

“Needless to say, they didn’t take me,” Sgt. Dodge recalls. “But I decided to get back on a horse and take lessons. I found that after riding, I’d have a smile on my face the rest of the day.”

That smile led Dodge to buy a horse of her own, then join a mounted drill team. About 10 years ago, she was encouraged to apply again for the mounted patrol. This time she was selected.

“I love it. It’s a lot more physical than anything I’ve ever done for the Minneapolis Police Department,” says the 19-year veteran of the department and supervisor of the patrol. “You’re exposed to the elements, and there’s no barrier between you and people on the street like there is when you’re in a squad car. You have to like interacting with people and answering a lot of questions.

“You and your horse become partners working together. Despite the hard work, it’s so rewarding.”

Mounted patrol schedule

6:30 p.m. That day’s crew meets at the police department’s stable near Delano. They groom their horses, then spruce themselves up, donning full police gear in addition to riding breeches, boots and a helmet.

7:30 p.m. The horse trailers arrive at the city garage in Minneapolis. The officers unload their horses, mount up and begin patrolling downtown, ranging from the Warehouse District to Loring Park to the river.

9 p.m. Half the patrol heads to the city garage to give their horses hay and water and grab dinner for themselves. They also answer e-mails and catch up on their paperwork. Then it’s time to mount up and give the other officers their breaks.

1:30 a.m. The patrol begins to congregate at the intersections on Hennepin and First Avenue as the bars begin to close. “There are a lot of people on the street then,” Dodge says. “We’re a very visible presence, and we’re there to keep people moving, watch for trouble and break up fights.”