Border Patrol agents turn to horses to catch illegals

Tucson Citizen ^ | May 7, 2004 | GABRIELA RICO

[gitmo]

David Derrick, left, and Bobbi Koelin, both with the Border Patrol Horse Unit, patrol the area of Jalisco Canyon near Arivaca Lake in Arivaca, Ariz., on March 10. The Tucson sector of the Border Patrol is deploying 100 horse patrols along the U.S.-Mexico border to help track and catch people entering the country illegally.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- When the U.S. Border Patrol was created by Congress in 1924, the federal government agreed to buy the feed as long as patrolmen provided their own horses.

Eighty years later, in a back-to-basics move, the Tucson sector of the Border Patrol is deploying 100 horse patrols along the U.S.-Mexico border to help track and catch people entering the country illegally.

The addition of horses to the region is part of the Arizona Border Control Initiative, a multipronged campaign announced in March by Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security, part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Along with horses, large numbers of patrol agents, additional aircraft, electronic ground sensors, remote video cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles are being poured into the area.

The goal is to take control of what is known as the west desert corridor, from the Yuma County line to the Arizona border town of Sasabe. Those 121 miles of international border have been a hot spot for the Border Patrol for the past few years as crackdowns in Texas and California pushed illegal immigrants into Arizona's rough landscape.

In a recent five-day operation, seven horse patrols rounded up 600 illegal immigrants in the rugged terrain of Jalisco Canyon, near Arivaca.

In March, four horse patrols caught more than 100 people traveling together in the same area.

John M. France, assistant chief patrol agent in charge of the equines, said the recent captures illustrate that high-tech can't solve everything.

"We need the gizmos, and we need the technology, but you never, ever give up on the basics," he said.

Michael St. John, supervisor of the sector's horse patrol, said recently the animals' ability to navigate steep hills is critical to catching up with the human traffic.

"Even the Humvees and four-wheel drives can't get in there," said the seven-year agent, who has supervised the horse patrol since it began operating at the sector's Tucson station in October. "On foot, we have no advantage."

While horses have always been part of the Border Patrol force, France said he is pleased to see renewed respect for their effectiveness.

In the past, the animals' role in Border Patrol was mainly "PR and parades," he said.

"Sure, they're cute, and everybody likes to pet them, but they're a tool," said France, a 25-year veteran of the Border Patrol. "It's exciting that we're enhancing our basics along with our technology."

This tried-and-true method of patrolling the border is also helping the agency address concerns about noise and the environment.

France called horses "one of the most effective and ecologically sound means" of patrolling the border because they can take an agent into rugged terrain and make little noise when approaching people in the desert.

"Drug smugglers don't want to go up against the horse," France said. "They're quiet, large animals who suddenly come upon you with a person on top of them. It's very impressive."

Currently with 58 horses in the ranks, Tucson sector officials want to have 100 working by June, including several patrols in the Tohono O'odham Nation. That will give the sector more horses than all other sectors in the country combined.

So, what makes a good Border Patrol horse?

"There is specific criteria, but mainly, that they are sure-footed," France said. "They don't have to be pretty. We're not looking for show horses."

[gitmo]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

[Riley]

I wonder how they keep them from getting injured running into Cholla in the dark?

(Cholla [pronounced 'choy-a']is a brushy looking cactus-type of plant that looks like a bough of pine needles but feels like hypodermic needles. Nasty stuff.)

[em2vn]

Do it right. Use mules. The mules are smarter and more sure footed than horses.

[Gator113]

"Any chance this will improve the borders?"

With an AR and the ability to call in air support, it might help quite a bit with the borders. It would also be very fun duty!!! If I were 10 years younger, I would already be there!

[gitmo]

We had a bush in Cuba that had tiny thorns the size and color of blond hairs. If you brushed against the bush, it would cover you with these tiny thorns that burned like the dickens. And if you were fair-skinned (like me), you couldn't tell the thorns from the hairs on your skin.

I never heard what these things were called though.

[King Prout]

any idea if they need some horses?

I have a great passofino mare and can easily breed her up to an outstanding QH stud - the progeny should come out CHOICE for the work they are doing.

[gitmo]

Wouldn't Morgans have more stamina?

[AnAmericanMother]

Morgans don't take the heat like QHs.

Must be their Vermont background . . .

I'd want a QH-mustang cross myself for that kind of work. My big TBred is too hard to climb on and off of.

[gitmo]

My dad had a Morgan-QH cross when we lived in Cuba. That was one awesome horse.

[Don Corleone]

Morgans have always been the "horse of choice" out here. The army loved them for their courage and endurance. I've ridden them along the border many times in years past when it was safe and beautiful to be up on a fine horse. Now its no longer safe..at least along the Sasabe border. I never travel south of Tucson without going armed! Tag line notwithstanding!

[nathanbedford]

Ages ago I posted on this story.

First, Black Jack Pershing was not able to chase down the bad guys and his boys were well mounted and had mules and jennys.

Second, for God s sake use the technology available like drones and eyes in the sky.

Third, we lack not innovation to stop the flood, but will

[King Prout]

yes, as a rule of thumb (though of course level of training of the individual horse makes a bigger impact) but perhaps not as nimble on broken terrain.

Burr (my mare) can move at a wierd and absurdly comfortable ground-eating "one foot" gait the whole day long. Jimmy (the prospective stud) is so strong it is almost scary. Burr is just shy of true horse stature, Jimmy is a bit bigger. Both are tough as nails and extremely willing and trainable animals with excellent head and body configuration, physiques, stress-tolerances, and general health.

Their progeny *ought* to turn out splendidly, though they'd be valueless on the horse-trading circuit, as Burr has no "lineage". Horse trading is a lunatic business - more value is given to a horse's bloodline than to that same horse's inherent quality as a working mount. Consequently, I will only breed Burr if I know beforehand that her kids will go to good owners who will keep 'em and make good use of 'em.

OTOH, if I knew for a fact they'd do some good on the border, I'd be willing to DONATE them free-of-charge.

Patriotic duty, and all that.

[Marine Inspector]

Ping.

[Marine Inspector]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

No.

[King Prout]

and too fragile.
they have bred most of the non-speed characteristics out of that line.

[tertiary01]

My best endurance horse was an Appy. She had tough feet, could go all day, hot or cold, but she sure was ugly!!

[elbucko]

I wonder how they keep them from getting injured running into Cholla in the dark?

Horses see considerably better than humans do in the dark. A good rider, even at a lope, will let the horse pick the trail.

[elbucko]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

No.

I agree, but for different reasons. The people making the decisions that affect their utility will be ignorant about horses. Horses would be very effective in border patrol if run by horse people. But some white man, over 50yrs, 250lbs and gray, working for the government in an air conditioned office will ruin it. Unless their retirement depended on the horse patrol doing well.

BTW, I fit 3 categories of the above.

[Riley]

This is an educational forum. Smart horses. :-)

Give the next one you see some ear-scratchies and a sugar cube for me.

[elbucko]

She had tough feet, could go all day, hot or cold, but she sure was ugly!!

Respectfully, I disagree. Some horses are prettier than others, but to me, a healthy horse is never ugly. Only the sick ones in need of care and those past hope or dead.