Law enforcement mounted units training at Earl Warren Showgrounds

Law enforcement agencies from across the state are participating in the California Mounted Association training happening at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara County.

They have never trained here before and they’ve been here since Monday with classes wrapping up on Friday. Fifteen difference agencies from as far north as Sacramento and down south as Anaheim are attending the training.

“The Santa Barbara county sheriffs department called us to see if we could put on the school over here to help them out due to the agency no having the money to send the deputies south because we usually train in Norco,” said Rob Dawson, President of California mounted officer association.

Horses are learning how to deal with different distractions including helicopter noises and sirens. This helps prevent the horses from being startled in an emergency situation.

Erick Anderson, Anaheim police:
“Everything we have here set up is stuff we have personally encountered out in the city that we deploy in,” said Erick Anderson, from Anaheim police. “Our goal here is to expose the horses to everything we possible can so that way when they go out to their communities at least they will be adapted to certain situations.