NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

D. Training
It is the responsibility of the Mounted Unit officer to ensure the Mounted Unit continuously
meets the standards of training established by a certified trainer. Training exercises,
whether conducted in a sterile environment or in the field, shall be documented in a log or
memorandum and submitted to his/her immediate supervisor. Each deployment of the
Mounted Unit shall also be documented and submitted in the same manner. The New
Albany Police Department will ensure all costs associated with training, including
overtime, will be paid by the City of New Albany.
E. Uniforms and Equipment
The New Albany Police Department’s Mounted Unit uniforms shall comply with those
approved by the Chief of Police. The Mounted Unit shall wear the Formal Dress Uniform,
identical to that worn by the Police Department Honor Guard, during special events and
ceremonies. The standard Mounted Unit uniform, similar to that worn by the K9 Unit, may
be worn at informal public events or during regular patrol (see Directive 6.3.1).
The New Albany Police Department will supply the mounted unit with the required riding
tack and any other needed equipment approved by the Chief of Police. All other costs and
expenses associated with equipping and maintaining the horse, such as feed, veterinary
visits, farrier, and truck/trailer costs, shall be at the expense of the officer owning the
horse.
F. Officer/Citizen Safety
New Albany Police Department Officers shall render aid if a rider becomes injured and/or
his/her horse becomes loose. In the event a horse becomes loose, officers shall:
Speak softly to the horse
Entice the horse to move to an area where there are no moving vehicles
If an officer is able to catch the horse, he/she shall attach the lead line to the bottom
of the halter (located beneath the horse’s mouth)
Officers shall not wrap the lead around their arms or legs
Officers shall attempt to tie the lead line to a fixed object until trained personnel can
safely secure the horse
G. Mounted Unit - Use of Reasonable Force
The use of a Mounted Unit as a use of force option may range from officer presence to
temporary incapacitation. A Mounted Unit officer shall not deploy their Mounted Unit
merely because it is an available option. When a Mounted Unit is utilized as a use of force
option, the Mounted Unit deployment shall be objectively reasonable under the facts and
circumstances at the time. The Mounted Unit officer must evaluate the following factors,
taking into consideration the safety of officers, citizens, and the suspect/individual, prior to
deployment of the Mounted Unit and have reasonably exhausted all other avenues of deescalation:
Severity of the crime
Whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of officers or others
Whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight
The Mounted Unit officer should consider the reasonableness of other use of force
options prior to the deployment of the Mounted Unit. Based upon the totality of the
circumstances, the Mounted Unit officer will have the discretion of deploying the Mounted
Unit.
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