Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 24, 1993 TAG: 9308240219
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The horses come first," said Sgt. Wayne Means of the National Capitol Park Police riding school.
That means the officers will start each day by cleaning stalls and feeding horses before going out for some horseback calisthenics.
"We encourage them to be in shape," Means said.
Horseback riding is grueling enough for a fit officer, one who isn't carrying extra pounds or puffing on cigarettes, Means said.
"It takes a lot of discipline to learn to ride properly," he said.
When the 11-member horse class gets through with its training in December, Means hopes the mounties will be proficient at crowd control and using their horses in the apprehension of lawbreakers.
Beyond the riding skills, the school is designed to instill a good sense of public relations in the officers.
"When you sit on a horse," Means said, "you're going to have contact with people."
For 10 to 12 weeks, the recruits will have mornings filled with classroom instruction and afternoons filled with improving their riding skills.
"We want them to feel comfortable on a horse," Means said.
That comfort zone sometimes means working in inclement weather, although Roanoke has stipulated that their officers won't work when temperatures reach above 92 degrees or slip below freezing.
Two of Means' troops from last year got a dose of hypothermia while working a Grateful Dead concert at the USAir Arena, formerly the Capital Centre, in March.
Still, the Dead Heads seemed to appreciate the horses.
"They adored the animals," Means said. "It was a laid-back crowd, really."
by CNB