A few horses have been injured or killed in the line of duty, such as a horse in Florida that stepped off a sidewalk curb during an unruly demonstration and slipped into a rain gutter, breaking a leg. His job is to train horses to accept the intolerable and to teach officers, most of whom have no prior experience with horses, to become partners with their mounts. Communications skills between man and beast range from body posture to the state of mind of both horse and rider. A horse, Tindell said, can sense whether a rider is confident or tense and assumes the same feelings. The LAPD receives calls from trainers and horse owners offering about 600 equine candidates yearly.
Reasons range from the wrong color and size to an unsuitable temperament or background.
In that period, handlers, trainers, veterinarians and farriers thoroughly check the animal. Even months after being acquired, some horses exhibit behavior deemed unsuitable. One, for instance, began displaying a temper by refusing to do what it was asked, despite gentle handling and patient training. The unit accepts horses with only solid dark coats to present a more uniform appearance. Size is also important, not only for uniformity but also for practicality, such as a proper fit for the standard-issue police saddle and bridle.