Kansas City brings back police horse patrols

For the first time since 1922, police officers on horseback are patrolling Kansas City, Mo., streets again.

The unit got started in mid-August, and the first two police horses slowly are getting acquainted with their new city surroundings full of traffic, crowds and construction crews.

“This is all like Mars to him,” said officer Jared Lanaman, with his partner Remington, a Missouri fox trotter. “Horses think everything is going to eat them. We have to show them that it won’t.”

The horses are housed, fed and groomed at a barn not far from the Kansas City Zoo.

Each officer-horse team is really two officers.

“We want police to be more approachable, not as cops in cars with windows up,” said Lanaman, who works with officer Sabrina Coleman on Soldier, a sleek quarter horse.

The unit plans to patrol at least twice a week, and more in the warmer months, Lanaman said.

When complete, the mounted police unit will have eight officers and 12 horses.

The program cost about $210,000 to get going.