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Overview

All members of this Unit received their training in a 15 week program with the Toronto Police Mounted Division. Key areas of this comprehensive mounted unit training included: crowd control and troop movements; formation riding; sensory training and policing from horseback.

All horses in this unit are of a Percheron Breed. The Percheron breed is one of the largest breeds of Draft horses.

When they raise their heads high, they can stand over 10 feet tall. The breed originated in the region of Le Perch, France over 1,000 years ago, they were used to carry Knights and Kings and as work horses, they are very willing partners, affectionate and very trusting.

While the horses hear the commands, this is not what they respond to, they feel the suttle movement of their rider's when they squeeze their legs together lightly along with the weight distribution in the saddle and contact with the rein's, the ratio is seat- 60 percent, legs - 30 percent, and hand's softly at 10 percent.

It takes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to train these horse's and of course everyday thereafter is training for the horses.