Mounted Officers Learn Calm During the Storm

Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Carla Van Gorp, riding bareback, directed her horse using only a thin rope tied loosely around its neck.

And even as sirens blared, firecrackers exploded and flares blazed in a practice ring at Jack Bones Equestrian Center, Van Gorp held the animal steady by gently stroking its neck and mane.

Van Gorp was among 15 mounted officers and reservists from law enforcement agencies across Southern California taking part in an equestrian training exercise Monday conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Mounted officers from police agencies in Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange counties participated in the four-day training session that began last Friday, said Deputy Elsa Avila, a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.

Monday’s final three-hour session included exercises in crowd management, parade formation and search and rescue, said Deputy Dave Disbro, who conducted the training session with two assistants.

“The purpose of the training is for the rider to control his partner in difficult situations,” Disbro said. “We are trying to teach the human to relax, breath and smile to reduce [their] stress and keep the horse calm.”

The most challenging aspect of the training occurred when a Sheriff’s Department helicopter hovered above the ring in a simulated search and rescue mission.

The riders attempted to keep their horses calm in the blowing winds, swirling dust, roaring rotor blades and billowing smoke coming from a smoke machine.

As most horses bowed their heads and another threw its rider, Van Gorp moved hers a few paces in front of the line. The pair remained motionless even as the chopper landed in the ring.

Admiring Van Gorp’s bareback riding and horse handling, Disbro said her technique showed the “ultimate trust between equine and human.”