Dover Community saddles up to thank the mounted patrol

By Rebecca S. McClinton Posted Jun 11, 2004 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 6:56 AM

Dover’s downtown merchants held a day of appreciation for the Dover Police Mounted Patrol this past Saturday, June 5. The event, called Horsin’ Around Dover, was sponsored by several businesses, including Nicole’s Hallmark, Rivers Camera Shop and the Central Ave Saloon. According to Nicole’s Hallmark co-owner Janet Perry, the event was designed to thank the officers and department for their contribution to downtown safety, and to get the word out about what it is that makes the mounted patrol such a valuable resource on our city streets.

The day began with breakfast for the volunteers at the Central Ave Saloon, cooked especially for them by the mounted police officers, as a thank you for their help not only for that day’s events, but for their year-round contributions as well.

After breakfast, the officers and volunteers descended onto the courtyard that rests between Nicole’s Hallmark and Jewelry Creations. There, some of the volunteers set up a table to sell Dover Police Mounted Patrol hats, T-shirts, polo shirts and coffee mugs. The mugs, crafted especially for the occasion and donated by Andy Cochran of Salmon Falls Stoneware, sold for $10 each. Proceeds will benefit the mounted patrol to help in the cost of caring for their majestic horses. Still more volunteers were on hand to answer questions about each horse and the program, and to hand out cards with pictures of each horse and rider, with information about each on the back.

The presentation to the public began at 10:30 a.m., with a meet-and-greet and photo session. Rivers Camera Shop donated the use of a digital camera so parents and children could have their pictures taken with the horses and officers, some children even braving the immense size of the horses to get their pictures taken atop them. As well as the use of the camera, Rivers also donated its services developing pictures for those who wanted a copy. At the meet-and-greet were the three patrol horses, each with its designated rider in tow. The biggest of the three horses, all of the Percheron breed, was Royal Knight, ridden by Officer Roland Morin. Described as the leader of the pack was King Arthur, the most brazen horse of the trio, ridden by Officer John Usher. Last but not least was TJ, the most camera ready and eager to be petted, ridden by Officer Chris Daggett. According to Morin, TJ has been known to block sidewalks just so that passers-by will stop to pet him. All three of the patrol horses are male, because mares tend to get ornery, a situation the officers cannot afford to risk. The meet-and-greet was filled with excitement from the children who were there to see the horses. Most kids were giddy and eager to stroke the horses’ noses, and lucky to have a chance to sit atop one or two of them. There were some understandably more timid onlookers, some slightly afraid of the horses? size. An officer on a horse is said to be 10 feet high, which proves no problem for officers Morin, Usher and Daggett.

After the meet-and-greet, the horses, officers and volunteers ushered the crowd across the street to the Bank of New Hampshire parking lot. There, Morin led the team of mounted police in a thorough demonstration of tactics utilized by the officers when enforcing the law atop their horses. For example, many crowd members wondered at how the impact of the concrete faired on the horse’s feet. It was explained that careful attention is paid to the daily condition of the horses? shoes and feet, as well as special maneuvering when it comes to turning the horses and transitioning them from grass to pavement to gravel. The concrete is much more slippery than dirt, and, as head of the program Captain Gary DeColfmacker added, the feet are the most 6 important part of a horse’s body. The officers must take great care to prevent the horses from slipping or injuring themselves.

Daggett then demonstrated the typical gait of the horses used in town. He showed the crowd a typical walking strut versus a full-on trot. The horses used in the Mounted division are useful in breaking up fights between two or more people, as demonstrated by the officers. DeColfmacker and volunteer Dan Belair pretended to fist fight while Daggett and TJ were used to break them apart. Horses are used to create and maintain distance between two or more perpetrators. Another use for the horses is to use them as a team to surround either a suspect or a vehicle with a suspect in it. This was exemplified by all three of the horses, which received an enthusiastic crowd response.

They are also used to herd groups of people to clear sidewalks for various purposes, also shown by the team of officers and volunteers. Asked if the horses worked in rain, snow or hot weather, Morin and DeColfmacker explained that people often complain to the department if they see a horse out in inclement weather. Therefore they remain a fair-weather unit on most occasions. Perhaps the biggest message the day brought to those who gathered was that the presence of the mounted patrol unit facilitates a better overall rapport with the Dover community. When asked by a crowd member what value the program has, Morin put simply that were he in a police cruiser, people probably wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to come up and talk to him like they had been all day.

It eliminates the metal barrier, Morin further explained. As well as adding a sense a safety to the community, people can also notice the mounted officers more easily than if they were in a cruiser. By making themselves more visible, they therefore facilitate a more law-abiding community. Another benefit of being a mounted officer is that their visual field is considerably heightened due to their elevation on the horse. Therefore, the officers can see longer distances, and can see more easily into cars for anything illegal.

The mounted patrol demonstration ended with an invitation to the crowd to view some of the horse’s protective equipment and tacking gear set up on a nearby table. For example, there was a special mounted officer baton that extends with a flick of the wrist, used as mainly a defense weapon for the officers. Another piece of equipment used was a fiberglass baton encased in leather, permanently and fully extended particularly for the use of swiping people’s arms and hands away from the horse’s reigns so the officer’s can prevent losing control of their horses. The horses also come equipped with protective face shields and nose shields, similar to that seen on riot officers. These devices were donated to the horses after some citizens worried that although the officers were protected well enough, the horses lacked any real armor.

Nearly two-thirds of the overall funding for the mounted patrol program comes from event proceeds and business contributions, but mainly from donations, DeColfmacker reported. He attributes much of the success of the mounted unit to donations, both monetary and materials provided by businesses.

One business in particular, Public Service of New Hampshire, donated a building they own on Cocheco Street to act as a stable for the horses. Built by many of the officers themselves, the stable houses all three horses and their equipment. Likened to a silent partner, charges nothing for the space allotted for the horses, nor do they charge the police department any utilities. DeColfmacker said that without their assistance, the program most likely would have failed due to lack of funding. But thanks to the generous donations by businesses and private citizens, the Dover Police Mounted Patrol remains perhaps the most visible law enforcement unit in the area.

Anyone interested in donating time, services, equipment, money, or even a bag or two of carrots and apples, may do so by calling the Dover Police Department at 742-4646. You may also mail donations to Friends of Dover Mounted Police, 46 Locust St., Dover, NH 03820.