Justice from Atop a Horse

Story & Photos by Leah Small

When officers Monica Watson and Dawn Lehmann joined the Richmond, Virginia Mounted Squad about a year ago, it set a precedent. This was the first time two women were on the squad.

“You constantly have to prove yourself,” Dawn says about the challenges of being a female police officer. “They had to see me get into a fight [verbal] to know that I’m not going to run away or stand there,” Monica said about the challenge of proving herself.

Both women feel that this was more of an issue in former assignments. “In a specialized unit you’ve usually reached that threshold,” Monica says about the difference between being on the mounted squad and being in a patrol car, where every officer starts. Officer Monica Watson has been with the Richmond Police since 1998, Officer Dawn Lehmann since 2007.

“The challenge has been how to split us up with one bathroom,” Monica jokes about the acceptance from the males of the mounted squad.

Obviously, it was their fondness for animals that drew them to the job, but both women did not have much experience with horses. Dawn had done some trail riding and Monica had no experience. “They actually prefer that you don’t have any background,” Dawn says about the squad’s training style. The women trained together for about four months, where they learned skills such as grooming, putting on the bridle and saddle, and arrest techniques. It was during tryouts that Monica discovered her greatest fear: being in a situation where she had to get on the horse immediately and couldn’t. Short people everywhere can understand that mounting from the ground is no small feat.

Before it was her turn to mount during tryouts, she scanned the pen for a bucket to mount from. Much to her chagrin, there wasn’t one. She even watched mounting being demonstrated twice to buy time. Finally, with the captain, sergeant and squad watching, she did it. “It took every muscle in my body,” she says.

To Monica, sitting on a horse “is a feeling you can’t describe. It’s like sitting on top of the world.” Once the hard part is over, that is.

Officers Watson and Lehmann agree that being on the mounted squad is a great job and enjoy bonding with their horses, Beau and Roadie. Dawn’s horse Beau is the new kid on the block. He is a 6-year-old former racehorse that was donated a year ago, which makes him as new to the squad as his rider. Roadie is 16 years old and also a former racehorse. He has been with the mounted squad for 11 years.

Both women agree that building trust with the horse is important, whether experienced or a novice. Due to Beau being new, Dawn has had the bigger challenge getting her horse to respect and trust her. “They’re going to test you like a kid would test you,” Dawn says about her difficulties with Beau. “Every day is a new day and a training day.” The fact that Beau is technically a city vehicle so must walk in the street has taken a lot of adjustment for the former racehorse. Dawn integrated Beau into his new environment slowly by first taking him through quieter neighborhoods and parks before doing the busier parts of Richmond. Training emphasized mirroring the other horses because they are pack animals. Beau slowly gets more used to doing things on his own and becomes less afraid of the things that he encounters, even though he still maintains a fear of large vehicles. The more the horse can trust the rider to not let it get hurt, the stronger the bond between them. “That’s your partner, if it hits the fan that’s who you’re depending on,” Dawn says about her relationship with Beau.

This is easier said than done. Both Monica and Dawn have been thrown off of their horses once. “It’s like a bicycle, you just got to get back on and go,” Dawn says about the experience. They have learned to pay attention to the horse’s quirks, such as pinned back ears, and Roadie’s fear of shopping carts. “I’m more mentally exhausted than in any other assignment. We have an animal that’s going to think on its own if something happens,” Monica says about the difficulty of working with the horses.

 

One of the most important functions of the mounted squad is PR. However, anyone who thinks that its only purpose is parades is mistaken. “We do everything on the horse that they do in a car,” Monica says about their duties. Mounted police take calls, do traffic stops, and run radar.

“When you look in your rearview mirror and see this huge horse coming at you, you panic a little bit and stop,” Dawn says about pursuing cars. She estimates that the horses can go up to 35 to 40 miles per hour. Despite the initial shock, drivers tend to be more receptive because of the horses. “It’s real touchy feely versus the strong arm of the law,” Monica says. “We may do it a little nicer, but we still get the same results.”

Mounted police are frequently called upon to monitor protests and large crowds. In such scenarios, the sheer size of the horses and the higher vantage points are useful. Recently, Monica and Dawn assisted during a protest of the Massey Energy Company. They made sure that the protestors walked down Franklin Street safely and the cars went around them.

Every other weekend during the summer, the Mounted Squad patrols Shockoe Bottom in Richmond. During one such weekend they were engaged in small foot pursuits of rowdy teens at the now-closed Club Rendezvous.

“One horse can do the work of ten police officers,” Dawn says about the increased efficiency. The Mounted Squad uses special techniques to use the horses to their advantage. For example, if someone is doing something hazardous behind them, they can turn the horse around and use a maneuver with the horse’s flank. If someone is running away, an officer can grab them. While doing arrests, two officers often merge their horses to trap the offender while asking them to raise their hands to be cuffed. Everything is done from the horses, from traffic stops to arrests and pursuits. However, it is rare when members of the mounted squad are not together.

“All the little girly stuff has gone out the door; you go home stinky every day,” Officer Monica Watson jokes about their routine. She and Officer Dawn Lehmann patrol during the morning and the afternoon, then it is back to the stables for grooming and feeding. They have the glamorous task of hauling bales of hay to feed the horses and sometimes de-mucking the stalls. It seems worth it, though. “It makes me feel like being a cop again and I like that,” Monica says about her shift in career. She went from deskwork in personnel to being out on the streets with the horses. “This is the best assignment I’ve ever had,” Monica reiterates. “I will retire down here if I can.”

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About the Writer

Leah wishes she had a horse of her own. It might make life easier. They seem more reliable than public transportation. Maybe they are more affordable than a car.