One of the Seattle Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit’s most time-honored assignments is that of the riderless horse, which is a ceremonial practice used to honor officers killed in the line of duty.

The riderless horse is a deeply meaningful part of a fallen officer’s memorial procession and is a service that Seattle’s Mounted Patrol Unit provides to agencies all over the state of Washington and beyond. Both visually striking and steeped in history and tradition, the riderless horse – sometimes referred to as a caparisoned horse – is an incredibly moving part of the memorial procession.

At the Seattle Police Mounted Unit, the riderless horse is generally accompanied by two mounted officers and led by an officer on foot, but can also be led by one of the officers on horseback if needed. The horse is outfitted in a western saddle with a halter and lead rope, with backwards-facing boots carefully placed in the stirrups.

The reversed boots silently signify that the officer will ride no more.

When made available, the fallen officer’s hat is placed on the saddle horn. Under the saddle rests a saddle pad adorned with the fallen officer’s name and badge number, handmade for the Seattle Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit by a local craftsman.

Honor for the fallen is literally woven into these custom wool blankets.

The tradition of the riderless horse dates back to the Napoleonic times of the 1800s, when the reversed boots were meant to represent a fallen warrior’s final journey, or a commander’s final look back at those he commanded. The riderless horse is a timeless tradition deeply rooted in reverence for our fallen law enforcement heroes. The Seattle Police Department is proud and honored to carry this tradition forward.

Horses have been a cherished part of the Seattle Police Department for almost 150 years.

In the 1880s, horses were used for patrolling remote areas of the City, and for things like prisoner transport and riot control. Patrol horses were briefly phased out as a result of the Longshoreman’s Strike in 1934, but in the summer of 1972 the Mounted Patrol Unit (MPU) was reformed, entering into service in 1973 with eight horses, seven officers, and one sergeant.   

At that time, the primary mission of the unit was to patrol the 5,000 acres of City parks. Its secondary mission was crowd control and management during largescale events. In the 1980s the unit further evolved, with patrol duties expanded to include the downtown waterfront business districts and residential areas, in addition to the 5,000 acres of City parks.

Its responsibilities in crowd management continued and it added dignitary protection services to its repertoire.  

When budget shortfalls at the City put the MPU in jeopardy in 2010, it was the Seattle Police Foundation’s privilege to launch an intensive fundraising campaign called “Save our Horses” to help preserve this treasured piece of Seattle heritage. Thanks to an incredible partnership with the Seattle Hotel Association and many generous contributions from our loyal donors, we entered into a contract with the City to fund the Unit for a three-year period.

That funding commitment extended through 2014, at which point SPD resumed its role in maintaining the unit and it was attached to the West Precinct. In addition to the Save our Horses effort, SPF has purchased horses for the unit since 2003.

Once its future was assured, the MPU’s patrol beat was once again broadened, extending from the Seattle Center to the stadiums, and from I-5 to the waterfront. The unit operated with four permanent officers, one sergeant, and six horses. The MPU’s primary duties included high-visibility patrol and assisting with 9-1-1 calls in Seattle’s busy downtown business district, where cars and bicycles had trouble negotiating traffic and obstacles. MPU officers also have the distinct advantage of being perched 10 feet off the ground, which allows them to see and be seen for several City blocks in these congested downtown environments.

In 2019 the MPU was moved to the Collaborative Policing Bureau, which expanded the MPU’s patrol beat, making it citywide.

The MPU began reintroducing the patrol horses to community members throughout the City of Seattle, and not just the tourist areas in downtown. Some of these communities had never seen the police horses and others had not seen them in over 30 years. It was a great success and reinforced the idea of the horse as not only just a vehicle, but a true community ambassador of the Seattle Police Department.

SPF’s support of the MPU is ongoing, including things like ongoing training with Buck Brannaman and the McGinnis Meadows Cattle & Guest Ranch, facility improvements, and the purchase of new horses. Our most recent investment included the purchase of two patrol horses, Doobie and McLovin, who joined the unit in the summer of 2021. In 2022, the MPU was assigned to the Special Operations Bureau, joining SWAT, K-9, the Arson Bomb Squad (ABS), and the Harbor Patrol Unit.

In 2023 the Mounted Patrol Unit transitioned once again and became part of SPD’s Relational Policing Unit, which falls under the umbrella of the Professional Standards Bureau. Relational Policing is a great fit for the Mounted Unit, as community-building is a key strength. The highly visible and approachable horses draw people of all ages and from all walks of life, enabling rewarding connections between Mounted Patrol Unit officers and members of the community.

Horses are natural peacekeepers, known for their ability to soothe anxiety, reduce stress, and help mitigate trauma.

The Unit has six horses and one pony. There are five officer positions and one sergeant position allocated. The Unit’s primary duties are providing law enforcement services and community outreach/engagement. The MPU deploys all throughout the City on emphasis patrols, serving the community at large. As the needs arise, the MPU also serves neighboring cities that no longer have mounted units, for special honors and ceremonies including Line of Duty Deaths.  

The Mounted Patrol Unit follows the Buck Brannaman style of horsemanship which dates back over 100 years.

Its approach was developed right here in the Pacific Northwest by known master horsemen and brothers Tom and Bill Dorrance, who are lauded as among the founders of the natural horsemanship movement. The two had a profound impact on fellow horsemen Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman, who was Hunt’s student. Buck is widely known for his uncanny ability to calm unruly horses and was the inspiration for the book ‘The Horse Whisperer’ by Nicholas Evans, which was later made into a movie of the same name starring Robert Redford.

In November of 2023, the City invested in specialized horsemanship training for the Unit’s full-time members and its auxiliary riders, this time with expert clinician Joe Wolter, who traveled to Seattle from Texas to provide the three-day workshop. SPF stepped up to provide breakfast and lunch for the duration of the training, after funding shortfalls impacted the available budget.

The Mounted Patrol Unit has continued to work with Joe Wolter in 2024.