All across the USA there are organizations like the Aiken Department of Public Safety Mounted Patrol Unit who exist to assist in providing safety patrols, education, and public relations for law enforcement agencies. But sadly these organizations numbers are dwindling due to budget issues in many cities and towns. In fact a huge portion of funding for many Mounted Patrols is often through donations and many officers pay their own way for trucks or trailers, stabling, feed and veterinarian expenses. Many even ride their own horse.

Corporal Sonny Ford of the City of Aikens Mounted Patrol Unit has been in law enforcement for twenty-eight years with twenty-five of them in Aiken. It was in 1996 that he first joined the mounted police world when the city created their Mounted Patrol with seven part time officers. Today Sonny is the sole Mounted Patrol officer for the city.

Sonny rides his own fourteen year old Quarter Horse, Doc, a direct descendent of the famous stallion Doc Bar. He has been Sonny's trusted partner in the streets for ten years. Like all horses in Mounted Patrols, Doc had to go through very specific training and certification. "Each year riders and horses must be certified," Sonny said. Some of the training and certifications a horse must successfully master are gunfire, loud vehicles, flares, an assault on the officer, blaring sirens and crowd disbursement. "A good Patrol horse must like people and have the ability to pay attention." Sonny said. "Only about one horse in fifty has what it takes. In a crowd a well trained police horse can be equal to ten police officers." Doc and Sonny have also achieved certification through a national police association certification training event held annually with the Mobile Police Department Mounted Patrol. Part of the training there is crowd control at Mardi Gras. Over the years they've worked Mardi Gras three times.

Mounted Patrol officers take their commitment to protect and to serve very seriously and whether they are patrolling the streets in high risk areas or shopping centers, or safeguarding spectators at sporting events and festivals they know, together with their horses, they portray a sense of security. Mounted police officers are often able to gather useful information because people will approach a rider more readily than they will officers in a patrol car. "Some people are just more willing to talk to an officer on horseback, than an officer in a car." Sonny said. "It also works the other way," Sonny laughed, "in that criminals know if they see my horse trailer parked in a neighborhood I'm gonna be there for two or three hours and they don't hang around to commit vandalism or break-ins. They know a patrol car will drive on through in ten or fifteen minutes, but a mounted officer is going to be riding the streets a lot longer."

One of the most dangerous things an officer and their horse do is to patrol protest events Sonny told me he and Doc have both been exposed to pepper spray, razor blades and fire crackers.

Carol McElwee has served as the Carolinas Mounted Patrol Association (CMPA) secretary since 2006 and her horse, Chevy has been certified as a police horse. Chevy and Carol have ridden with Sonny in parades. CMPA was formed in 1998 and grew to include fifteen departments both sworn and volunteer units. In recent years that number has dwindled to six. "It's not all patrols and security," Carol told me. "Mounted Patrols do many other things that benefit the communities they are active in. From parades, to visiting schools, to camps for youth there are just so many things that would be missed if many more of these Mounted Patrols disband due to lack of support." Carol went on to explain the men and women involved are so committed that volunteer units are part of few remaining as they haven't been cut by city or county budgets. "We have all seen the wonderful things a Mounted Patrol can bring to a community, and how big a difference these special horses and people can make to children. I've seen life changing events myself at our own summer camp." Carol said.

Sonny has a youth camp at his home called S & W stables. Each summer children from the middle schools of Aiken area are invited to write essays explaining why they want to come to camp and learn about life with horses. Each of the areas school's guidance counselor's select students with the winning essays for a total of ten to twelve students. It is a one week camp where children, many of them having never met a horse before, learn the basics of horsemanship. The camp is sponsored by the Aiken SC Department of Public Safety Mounted Patrol Unit.

During the week the children not only learn the basics of caring for a horse, but receive riding instruction, safety training and a farrier visits to explain foot care. A local veterinarian explains what classes the children would need to take to become a veterinarian. And in fact several of the camps oldest students are in college right now and taking equestrian classes. A few of those life changing events Carol was talking about. "We also take the campers on field trips to local barns that are notable in Aiken such as horse racing, polo, eventing and dressage. We haven't found a "western" barn to take them to but maybe next year we'll find something because they're in Aiken, too." Carol said.

"But that's not all Sonny does with kids." Carol told me. "He has several smaller camps at S&W throughout the year for inner city at risk kids and funds them entirely on his own."

Sonny keeps eight horses at his S&W ranch for the purpose of these summer camps One of them, Pepper is a 25 year old rescue horse given up for dead a dozen years ago. Sonny brought her to his home and nursed her back to health and Pepper has been the favorite of the kids ever since. "Heck I've been trying to retire her for three years now but all the kids want to learn on her." Sonny laughed. He told me that many of the horses in Mounted Patrol Units are donated or rescue horses.

"The camps are important to these at risk kids." Sonny said. "Where else will some of these kids learn about accountability, honesty, and teamwork?" He explained that in all the camps everything the kids do is structured in a way that they learn about trust and teamwork whether they are mucking stalls, gathering firewood or learning how to clean tack.

Always looking for ways to raise much needed funds for CMPA, Carol held her first ACTHA ride in June. "It was a great success! We were part of ACTHA's national June 13, Ride for the Rescues and while none of the funds raised that day went directly to CMPA, because that was a special event, we are planning future ACTHA rides as fund raisers. Of course all my safety riders will be Mounted Patrol Officers!"

Carol explained each of the units in CMPA is made up of marvelous teams like Sonny Ford and Doc and includes units from both North and South Carolina. Whether volunteers or paid officers their passion is to help others. "Each of the members has put their lives and their horse's lives at risk at some time, only because they are there to serve the public. Their sole purpose is to protect and serve." Carol said with pride. To learn more visit their website at www.carolinasmpa.org .

Mounted Patrol Units serve to enrich lives and whether we ask them to put their lives in danger in a crowd control situation, or help a young person learn the value of trust and respect through horsemanship, it's good to know we can count on teams like Sonny Ford and Doc.

Gitty Up

Dutch Henry