Service Mounts Program

In 2001, through participation with the National Police Horse Colloquium at the Kentucky Horse Park, Asbury University students began training Percheron/Thoroughbred crossed horses to be used for service mount units.

The colts are started with ground lessons of imprinting and leading, as well as several round-pen exercises and desensitization to various objects and obstacles. As 2-year-olds, the horses are ridden, learning their balance with a rider at the walk, trot and canter, then advance to additional strange noises and obstacles. The horses continue to be trained by Asbury expert trainers and students through the ages of 3- or 4-years-old and then are sold to service units around the United States and Canada.

Most Asbury University Service Mount horses are geldings, with the exception of a few mares, and hand-selected for their calm dispositions. The horses are trained “hands-on” each day by the students of the Asbury Equine Program. This structure results in safe, reliable mounts ready for active duty.

Asbury University is the only university in America with a police horse training program conducted by the students.

“We really couldn’t be more pleased and blessed with the leadership opportunity this provides for our students or the amazing, unequaled quality of horses that are being sent from Asbury University — across the United States — to serve alongside the brave men and women who protect us daily as part of mounted units,” said Harold Rainwater, former Asbury Equine Director.