NYPD horse throws officer off, then makes his way home alone

Assoc Press ^ | Sun May 4, 5:53 AM ET | unknown author

[Redcitizen]

May 4, 5:53 AM ET

NEW YORK - Police say a patrol horse found his own way back through Manhattan streets to his stable after throwing his rider.

[CindyDawg]

Him finding his way back home isn't unusual. Him getting back without getting hit or stolen is another thing though.

[SeaHawkFan]

I’ve known a lot of horses. Most know their way back, and given any provocation or opportunity or suggestion at all they will start going where they get their needs met. Much like us.

Same goes for MOST husbands who get their needs met at home.

[buck jarret]

It sucks to be dumped in the middle of a date.

[GnuHere]

Aldo has been on the job a year and is spooked by traffic noise in NYC - hmm, would you like a job in Mayberry?

[MrNeutron1962]

Bad Horse, No Biscuit, or as it is a Police Horse, is it No Donut?

[HairOfTheDog]

Horses always know how to get home. In fact, the big challenge in riding them is keeping them headed away from home.

That's the truth! I got thrown when I was a teenager several miles from home, and broke my arm. My horse trotted off and my friend wanted to tend to me since my arm was bent in a place it wasn't supposed to bend, but I said - No - go catch her and bring her back... she'll go all the way home!

[JubJub]

Are you from Utah?

[fredhead]

Anyone who’s read any Louis L’Amour novels would know that the horse would go home.

[clee1]

I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.

[mbynack]

My horse would do that on occasion when I was a kid.

We had one that would find a tree with a low limb, brush us off, and then head for the barn. I bet she did that a half a dozen times before we quit riding her.

[investigateworld]

Must have quiting time, horses have a Union you know ;^)

[SeaHawkFan]

Nope.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Sounds like he is barn sour.

My dad, an old time plains cowboy in his youth, learned that if you are caught out in a blizzard you loosen the reigns and let the horse have his head. He will always take you back to the barn.

[durasell]

NYC is a tough gig for a horse — special shoes, special training — but they’re great law enforcement tools.

[JubJub]

Are you “most husbands?”

[buck jarret]

I don’t really see the point of them. Cops on horses usually just mill around while they “stop riots.” If I were in charge, all of the horses in Manhattan would be on the bus to podunk, including those working the carriages in the park. They don’t belong, they aren’t happy, they are in the way and they smell.

[VanDeKoik]

They need to get around quickly in a city that’s wall to wall traffic snarls. Short of being able to fly, I dont see what choice they have.

[buck jarret]

A bike or motorcycle is much easier to maneuver than a big clunky old horse. Cops don’t always have to obey traffic regulations.

BTW there are cities with worse traffic - like Atlanta & LA. Driving in Manhattan can be slow going but you won’t get stuck for 2 hours. And smart people don’t drive.

[durasell]

A couple of things —

Horses are really good for crowd control.

Horses offer a better vantage point — higher than a bike or motorcycle — to see trouble down the block or several blocks away.

Horses are curiosities — people come up to pet the horse and end up talking to the cop — which provides the kind of street information you can’t get driving a patrol car or just walking the beat.