Mike Ridgeway would gladly trust his life to his partner and walk through a burning building in his care. But the police-pairing is not a crack crime fighting squad - it's one man and his horse.

For Pc Ridgeway and Monty, aka Police Horse Burnham, the trust in their relationship runs deeper than most partnerships.

He said: "When you are out on your horse, you are responsible for the actions of that horse. The bond between horse and jockey is imperative. It is not a lovey-dovey thing but a deep trust."

Most days they are trudging the streets on the beat but, as more mounted units are disbanded, the sight of the mounted policeman is becoming rarer.

Pc Ridgeway said: "We are probably the most diverse division in the country. We cover a huge area and do a wide variety of police work from security searches and beat work to the more high profile public order events. We made 172 arrests last year."

Pc Ridgeway said most of their work was community relations.

"It is amazing how people will come up and pat a horse even if they are wanted by police, or part of a demonstration. We are much more approachable than a policeman on foot," he said.

Mounted officers are at the sharp end of policing at demonstrations and protests.

Pc Chris Winks has been with the mounted police for three years He said: "It can be frightening but it is part of the job. It can be quite upsetting when the horses get attacked. I once saw a horse hit over the back with a traffic cone. "

Pc Ridgeway said: "The provocation from those people is enough to test the patience of a saint. It is the ultimate test for a police horse. You can't really train horses for that kind of thing, they will either deal with it or they won't. That is why we select the horses very carefully in the first place. " Steady horses chosen POLICE riding displays at shows may seem very impressive, with the horses jumping through burning hoops, cantering past canon fire and through jeering crowds.

But this is more a reflection of the type of horse chosen for police work rather than an example of the training they are put through.

The training is tailored to each horse and can take anything from six months to two years.

The most important part of the training process is to select the right horse in the first place.

Mr Ridgeway said: "They will either deal with it or they won't. They each have their own personality and are treated as individuals, but they are a tool for a job and are not molly-coddled." The division has a riding school where the horses are walked over different surfaces that may move or make noises, and past objects that will fall over.

They are tested for their steadiness, obedience and safety and only one in 50 will make it into the force.

Pc Ridgeway said: "We are looking for a confident, bold but steady horse. They don't have to be particularly bright or good looking. The most important thing is that it will stand still."

Story date: Monday 05 April

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