My kids enjoy seeing the Houston Police Mounted Patrol when we are in Hermann Park, downtown, or any of the other places they patrol. The officers have always been very nice and answered all of our questions while allowing us to pet the horses. Recently we decided to do even better though, and went to visit the horses at the stable where they live!
Because we were part of a group that had scheduled a demonstration, we started out in a classroom. Scheduling a demonstration isn’t necessary; you can just go feed the horses if you want. However, we enjoyed the demonstration portion because an officer told us a little about the Mounted Patrol, taught us the correct way to feed the horses the treats that we had brought, and amused us with some of his more memorable stories! We then went outside so he could bring his horse out to demonstrate some of the crowd control and other techniques they use. He was also very patient and answered all of the kids’ questions.
After that it was time to feed the horses! We had brought whole carrots, quartered apples, and even peppermints to give them. They were all happy to see us and the kids had a blast going from one stall to another to watch the horses practically inhale the treats. Some even banged on the stall doors to get our attention and to let us know they wanted more!
Our bag of food was quickly finished and the kids spent a few more minutes admiring the horses. After that they reluctantly agreed it was time to leave, but only after I promised to bring them back on another day!
Contributed by Shanna
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