CPS Mounted Unit: A behind-the-scenes look at the team's training

Made up of five horses, the Calgary Police Service mounted unit is the only one in the province and it's also one of the most popular.

Officers and their equine partners can be spotted at major events in the city where there are large crowds throughout the year, but on a day-to-day basis, civilians would be lucky to see them.

While they aren’t visible all the time, these horses are usually hard at work, tasked with multiple jobs that are integral to the CPS. 

Equine training and facilities coordinator Robin Koltusky says they can be a strong tool during searches, for instance, in the case of missing persons.

“They can access terrain that bikes can’t. Foot traffic can at times but they have a higher vantage point so you can clear an area very effectively when you’re higher up and searching,” said Koltusky.

“They also can access the river quite flawlessly, so they get called out to those types of calls too.”

The horses also take part in general day-to-day patrols. Const. Tory Fassnidge, who has been with the CPS mounted unit for five years, says they are out patrolling for most of the year.

“We get out just about 365 days a year depending on the weather. Right now it’s cold outside so it's difficult for us to patrol," he said.

"The horses can handle the temperature but it’s our fingers and our toes that the humans have a problem with.”

Horses and officers train together throughout the year for various scenarios. On this particular day, the team is going through a mock protest to train them for crowd management.

Fassnidge says this type of training is important considering protests are increasing more and more across the country, including in Calgary. He says right now, the horses are only used for observation purposes during a protest but it’s important to prepare.

“We train for the worst case scenario. We don’t know what’s coming but it’s expected to potentially get more and more contentious so we train for the worst case,” he said.

There are a total of seven officers in the CPS mounted unit and each is assigned to a horse, though they can switch animals if needed.

NAMED AFTER CANADIAN BATTLES

Fassnidge is now partnered with Dieppe, but Normandy was his first. 

“We use our horses as a way of arresting people. It doesn’t happen as often but we do arrest offenders once in a while," he said. "Some horses are good at that and some aren’t. Dieppe is good at that."

Then there is Vimy, Ortona and Anzio to round out the five equines.

As a tribute to veterans, each is named after Canadian battles from the Second World War.

“They all have their own personalities,” said Koltusky.

“We have some that are milder temperament, so not a lot bother them and they’re pretty low key. We have horses that are extremely curious so they want to get right in the action and see what’s going on.”

Koltusky is responsible for selecting the horses and trains them to receive their police badge. She says she looks for heavier breeds such as draft breeds.

“We currently have a Clydesdale, a few Percheron-crosses and a Belgian-cross in our herd. All of our horses are from Alberta," she said.

"They’ve ranged from northern Alberta down to Lethbridge, so they’re from all over the province.”

Koltusky says CPS’s mounted unit is the only one in Alberta, providing a unique role in the force and a positive experience for them and the public.

“Everyone loves us," she said. "They love the horses seeing them work and have a purpose.”