About Us:
Asbury University began developing methods for training police mounts in 2001 through participation with the National Police Horse Colloquium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. In 2007, the Asbury University Equine Program under the directorship of Harold Rainwater and mentorship of Siobhan Adkins and Stephanie Keeley launched the Asbury University Police Mounts Training Program.
Through this program, students learn to prepare young horses for work as police mounts. The program uses natural horsemanship techniques to desensitize to obstacles and sensitize to specific pressure. The horses begin their training as 6-month-old weanlings and continue in the program until they are ready for the streets.
The Asbury University Police Mounts were selected to ride in exhibition as part of the Equine Village venue at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010. The horses and student trainers demonstrated ground-training techniques and performed a drill ride utilizing tactical drill maneuvers.
Currently, Asbury University is the only school in America with a police horse-training program. Horses trained by the student trainers at Asbury are now working in a variety of departments across the United States to “serve and protect” with their human officer partners.