Time for more video fun. Here is a delightful video about British police horse training in 1967. I disagree with the opening statement that horses are obstinate animals to train, but that is just theatre. I love seeing the training methods, particularly the positive reinforcement. The group ride with the spears looks a little scary …

I think I may have to build that thing with the dummies on the side!

Fast forward to 2014, and the training of police horses doesn’t seem to have changed that much (note that bucket and flag are still there!).

I can’t leave the subject of police horses without including the Metropolitan Police Activity Ride. I’ve shared this in the past, but this is a more recent performance, from December 2014. If you haven’t seen the ride before, watch carefully, near the end, as they hold their stirrup leathers and irons in outstretched hands as they jump. Then watch very carefully what they hold above their heads after that!

Updates on our little herd coming later this week.  Someone special has a birthday this week … more on that later!

Be good to your horses!

Lia