By Malcolm X Abram
The Akron Beacon Journal
GREEN, Ohio — They carry guns and ride horses but they are not outlaw cowboys on the range.
They are members of the Summit County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit. And on Saturday morning, they, along with their four-legged partners, gave a free public demonstration of their skills at the Sheriff’s Training Facility on Greensburg Road.
Members of the 32-person unit put several of the horses through their paces in front of a small crowd of appreciative onlookers. The exhibition included crowd control, formations and an obstacle course.
While some horses showed off their abilities to department higher-ups and onlookers, others hung out at feed bags waiting their turn.
The mounted unit was formed in 1953 as a nonprofit organization, and unlike many units across the country, each of the horses is owned by its rider.
“There’s a real bonding that happens between rider and the horse when you are responsible for their daily care,” Auxiliary Deputy Lisa Kata said.
Riders and horses must go through a three-month training program before being certified to become part of the unit, whose primary duties include crowd control, parades, search and rescue and helping to capture runaway suspects.
The unit’s next big job will be helping Athens police keep thousands of reveling college students from having too much fun during Ohio University’s Halloween celebration next weekend.
“In many situations, one horse and a rider can do the work of 10 officers, and when (other officers) see us roll up on horses, they appreciate and really respect our ability to keep the crowds under control,” Mounted Unit President Mike Hawsman said.
Another important duty involves public relations both for the department and animal kingdom.
“We do a lot of show and tells, and some kids who are really afraid of animals when we show up are petting them by the time we’re done,” Hawsman said. “As I like to say, you can pet a horse; you can’t pet a cruiser.”
Copyright 2007 Akron Beacon Journal