Flying Pigs

The Louisville Metro Mounted Police Patrol has a sense of humor. This is apparent as soon as you walk into the barn. This pair of jeans was occupied when a horse named Pete decided they needed a little more ventilation.

Pete, named for Officer Peter Grignon killed in the line of duty days after the horse's purchase, seems to be one of the horses in the barn with "character". During our tour of the barn, we learned that stencils of flying pigs painted on the walls of the stalls signified the number of officers unseated by that horse. Pete had twenty-one.

Accustomed to ponies, we were amazed at the size of these animals. Here is Dd#1 with Jim, who weighs over 2200 pounds. You can see his head is almost the same size as her torso.

On the way to the tour, Ds moaned frequently from the backseat that he wished we didn't have to go to this field trip. After learning that we were going to see police officers that rode horses, and that yes, they did carry guns to fight the bad guys, his protests increased. After the tour, told me that he wasn't wanting to go on the field trip because he didn't want to see the police fight the bad guys. I guess he envisioned a shoot out at the OK Corral. What is surprising about this is that he will climb over people and things to catch a glimpse of such a thing on TV.

Sounds like a dream job to some of us, grooming horses for two hours, riding around the city four to six hours a day and leading VIP parades for Presidents and the like. That is, until you find out that you have to be a police officer for three years before applying to the Mounted Patrol. Bottom line is that they are police officers taught to ride horses, rather than riders taught to be policemen.