21-05-2025
Ottawa police introduce new mounted unit
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) introduced its new mounted unit Tuesday, touting the horse force as a way to both improve community engagement and meet the practical demands of urban policing.
Mounted officers on seven Clydesdales will be deployed across the city over the coming months, Chief Eric Stubbs said during a "soft launch" in front of OPS headquarters on Elgin Street. The unit will be fully operational by 2026.
Stubbs said the horses are trained to remain calm in unpredictable environments including noise, large crowds and tight spaces, and said their presence can help de-escalate tense situations.
"People react differently when there's an 1,800-pound [816-kilogram] horse in front of them," Stubbs said. "Tempers drop, body language shifts, and it gives our officers a chance to connect rather than confront."
In a news release, the OPS said the mounted unit will "respond to a wide range of operational needs, including community patrols, crowd management, and crisis response."
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe also attended Tuesday's launch, lauding the mounted unit as both a nod to tradition and a forward-thinking investment in public safety and community outreach.
"One mounted officer can have the presence of a dozen on the ground," Sutcliffe said. "That's important during major events and demonstrations when visibility and crowd movement really matter."
Sutcliffe said Ottawa's last mounted police unit folded in 1993.
Horses needed training
Stubbs credited the persistence of Const. Eric Mougeot for reviving the mounted unit.
"Eric has had this vision for seven to eight years," Stubbs said. "Because of him, we're here today in terms of that drive and that passion."
Idling atop seven-year-old Ripp, Mougeot said horses provide a unique opportunity to connect with the community.
"It's the most efficient tool to connect with a citizen. There's no more powerful tool," he said.
A police officer for 23 years and a lifelong farmer, Mougeot said he trained with a mounted unit in Toronto for 10 weeks following a longer stint with the RCMP.
Staff Sgt. Stephanie Burns, another officer in charge of the mounted unit, said the horses come from all over Ontario and Quebec and had little to no training.
"They were pulled out of farmers' field, they were pulled out of backyards," Burns said. "Some of them had never had a person on their back before, so the training process takes a while."
Burns said the horses are taught basic manoeuvres before gradually being exposed to large crowds and loud noises including trucks and emergency vehicles.
"The more busy the environment the better it is, and the quieter the horses become," Burns said. "We just gradually introduce more stressful environments and eventually the horses take it all in stride."
Questions over cost, intent
Lauren Shadley, a criminal defence lawyer from Montreal, noted protests are necessary for democracy but can sometimes escalate.
"We need non-violent ways to de-escalate," she said. "I'm hoping that the horse unit ... can do that."
OPS said the province will supply $1.4 million annually toward the mounted unit, including eight officers and eight horses, for the next three years.
Justin Piché, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, said he'd like to see a clearer cost breakdown.
"When you're spending that kind of money, you should be able to articulate where the money is going," he said.
Piché also expressed concern about how the mounted unit will be deployed, especially if it's disproportionately used to control social justice demonstrations.
"That's just been the history of policing and their use of protest policing in this city," he said.
The seven Clydesdales currently in the OPS stable are Ace, Arran, Angus, Deputy, Rio, Ripp and Will Power, the largest horse at over 18 hands high. An eighth horse will be added.
"The horses are stabled within the city and receive daily care from their handlers, including feeding, grooming, medical attention, and exercise," according to the OPS.
And yes, they are approachable if you see them out in public.
