Madison Police Mounted Patrol
- Training -
Our mounted patrol unit has adopted a "natural horsemanship" philosophy of training. We use confidence based training, not fear based. We work to a level of horse and rider confidence built through time and patience. Competence on both the horse and rider's part builds towards extreme performance capabilities exceeding most equine disciplines.
We look for a good foundation of "police-horse" personality for each individual mount selected to go through training. The level of the horses abilities builds through time- we never push them further than they are ready and able to perform during training. Being a good leader equals the ability to know when to push through a horses threshold and when to retreat and re-approach a situation- always letting the horse WIN. Winning equals confidence building!
With any performance level of horsemanship, inevitably, there are times of extreme sensory that a horse working in an urban environment must tolerate. It is with confidence and trust in the riders leadership that allows for a police horse to function- even during times where any normal "prey-animal" would retreat. A great bond forms between horse and rider to be able to handle such a job!
The Madison Police Mounted Patrol unit utilizes many training opportunities that arise. The Unit will travel to other jurisdictions such as State Fair Park Police in Waukesha, WI and the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Sheriff's Dept's annual training. The Unit also travels to Mounted Patrol training's out of state when an opportunity arises. During the season, the Unit trains once a month and during the off season, training twice a month. The Unit's horses live and train at The Horse First Farm in Brooklyn, WI. The public is always invited to attend a training session with approval from mounted unit staff.
Contact us for more details!
Madison Police Mounted Patrol
- Hoof Care -
The Madison Mounted Patrol is often asked why our horses don't wear anything
on their feet. We choose to keep our horses barefoot because the natural hoof
has superior shock absorption and traction as well as being quieter... that way,
we can sneak up on the bad guys! Here's how and why...
Although a horse's hoof may look and feel rigid and inflexible, it is actually a very
flexible structure which protects the joints of the leg by absorbing the shock of
impact created each time one of our horses (weighing 1200lbs to 2000lbs) takes
a step. Given that most of our day is spent on pavement, the dissipation
of shock is crucial. There is optimum traction created when the frog (that large
triangle on the bottom of the hoof) contacts the pavement providing a "grip" similar
to an athletic shoe. Another consideration is that the hoof contains an enormous
amount of nerves- when stimulated by pressure, this valuable nerve tissue lets the
rest of the horse know that a surface may be slippery. This information gives the
animal an opportunity to compensate for the changing surfaces that we frequently
encounter and still remain sure-footed. As far as being quiet goes, it is always a
treat to walk up behind someone in the street while riding a horse weighing almost
a ton and have them turn and say "Hey, where did you come from!"
Keeping a police horse working barefoot requires a very healthy hoof that is well conditioned to stand up to harsh surfaces such as abrasive pavement, rocky railroad tracks and occasional broken glass and debris.
The three factors that effect hoof quality are 1.) the horse's diet (nutrition)
2.) lifestyle and 3.) hoof care. The importance of a consistent diet that is low
in sugar and starch is critical to growing a strong, well-connected hoof wall.
A hoof wall that is straight and smooth (free of raised horizontal rings) allows the sole to build to optimum thickness. Our horses reside at a natural boarding facility
where they live outside 24/7/365 in a small herd on a track system. They do not
have access to pasture because of the ever changing sugar levels common in our
cold weather grasses (see more info at www.safergrass.org). The bulk of their diet
is hay that is tested for sugar, starch and protein as well as other minerals. They
are fed a daily supplement that is customized based on the hay test results. The
surface of their "track" consists of dirt and rocks which promote a dry hoof that is well stimulated. The hoof will respond to the increased stimulation by becoming
tougher. We maintain the horse's hooves ourselves with regular trimming based
on the "wild horse model".
Although we predominantly ride barefoot, we occasionally encounter situations
that require us to consider the limitations of the natural hoof. The surfaces we
work on are very abrasive and if extended periods of wetness soften the hoof,
sometimes wear can out-pace new growth. We rotate horses to give them a break
from the environmental stress but we also use hoof boots to protect the hooves
while preserving all of the benefits that going barefoot allows.
The horse's hoof is a very well designed structure that has evolved over 60
million years. By understanding how the hoof works, we are able to maintain it in
such a fashion as to maximize its ability to function. 
by Officer Ken Mulry, unit hoof care practitioner
Large healthy frog of an 1,800 lb. draft horse
Beau has worked the urban enviornment for
five seasons barefoot!
Easy Boot Epic's used for duty when necessary.
The draft boot is MUCH larger!
Barefoot draft hooves
Side view of barefoot draft hoof
Groundwork and Horsemanship Skills
Gretchen Arndt
Gretchen is a 2 Star Parelli Professional.
Gretchen's youth was spent in the barn, enjoying the company of Arabian horses. She trained primarily in dressage and showed to a Regional Top 5 as a youth.
During college, horses continued to draw her interest. She was a member of the equestrian team at Truman State University as she earned a B.S. in Agriculture and a minor in Equine Science. During and after college, Gretchen worked with Tammi Jay and other professional Arabian performance trainers. She has Regional and National experience in several disciplines, including Western pleasure, Hunt, Dressage, and Saddleseat.
In 2003, she was introduced to Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and began an incredible journey towards really understanding the horse. Her focus changed as she attended the Parelli International Study Center in 2004 and 2005. In 2009, she graduated Level 3, and completed an Externship in Pat Parelli's Mastery program.
MPD Unit Trainer
Edie Brogan
Edie grew up riding and acquired her first pony after months of begging when she was ten years old. He taught her everything about “natural” riding. She got her first young horse, “Kiddo,” when she was twelve. He was a wonderful Anglo-Arabian gelding who took her through the next 30+ years, including the formation of a mounted police unit with the University of Wisconsin Police Department in 1988. Edie made the first physical arrest with the assistance of an equine "partner" in the City of Madison in 1989 when she and Kiddo chased down a suspect who had escaped from foot officers at a Badger Football Game.
Edie continued to lead and administer the UW Mounted Police for over 18 years, riding three different mounts. She became the first certified mounted police instructor in Wisconsin in 1996 and went on to instruct mounted police and civilians in numerous clinics until her departure from law enforcement in 2006. Edie founded the Wisconsin Mounted Police in the 1990's in an effort to develop State-wide standardized training and cooperation between Wisconsin mounted units. She assisted in the formation of several other mounted units in Wisconsin and in other out-of-State cities by sharing her policies, procedures, and professional training standards and advice. She led the Wisconsin Mounted Police in demonstrations and clinics at the Midwest Horse Fair from 1994-2006.
After 23 years of dedicated law enforcement service, Edie and her current mount "HotShot" left law enforcement for greener pastures. She is now the Unit trainer for the Madison Police Mounted Patrol Unit organizing the monthly training's and assisting in new mount training.
