LITTLE DAVE IS A GENTLEMAN!
Police Constable Nicky Allen works in the Mounted Branch of the City of London Police Force, covering what is known as the Square Mile.
“Officers are allocated a particular horse to conduct a public order or ceremonial job, but on a day to day basis we ride the other horses too. So if your horse is having a rest week, you can continue with your shifts,” she says.
“We are all skilled riders and that experience is gained by riding different horses, because each one is totally different.
“A really strong bond develops between these partnerships. Horses are very intuitive and as riders we are trained to be confident and not to react to certain things that we know they won’t like.
“If you block it out of your mind and stay calm, the horse will sense that and trust you. One of our horses didn’t like traffic lights but a little scratch and some verbal reassurance meant she’d be fine and carry on. “Of course our horses are highly trained and we trust them too – it is a two-way thing. “My horse is Little Dave, actually 16.1 hands high but still the smallest in the branch. He is one of our best police horses – he leads all the young horses and helps to train them and he is a brave little fella, the best at big crowd situations such as football matches. “The major part of our job is to go on high visibility reassurance patrols as part of a team with uniformed and plain clothed officers. These patrols help to deter, detect and disrupt various types of criminal activity. “Even just the presence of police horses can make people’s behaviour change and if someone is there for the wrong reason, we are there to detect the signs and deal with it. “The horses also play a valuable role in providing an extra opportunity for us to engage with the public. People often come over to talk to us and we can then give out crime prevention advice on things such as handbag dipping.
“And of course if we are in a crowd, our height advantage allows us to see what’s going on and provide feedback to the control room.
“We also perform ceremonial duties, such as the Lord Mayor’s Show and Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, working with the Metropolitan Police. My first big ceremonial job was with Little Dave. It was very loud and busy but he was absolutely fantastic. He really looked after me.
“He is a real gentleman and he’ll calmly let children touch him and be around his feet and not move an inch.
“He knows his job and he does it well. Little Dave is a really lovely horse and he will always be special to me!”
He is a brave little fella, the best in big crowds