Sheriff's Posse Attends Training

Nine members from the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Mounted Posse recently attended a Mounted Police Training Clinic for Civilian Riders and Horses. The clinic was held at the J.R. Walking Horse Ranch in Milton and conducted by John Dalziel. Mr. Dalziel has been working with horses for more than 40 years and is the Chief Instructor for Mounted Police Worlwide, an organization based out of Brooksville, Florida . He was a member of Her Majesty's Household Calvary. His other accomplishments include 15 years with the Mounted Branch of the London Metropolitan Police, Senior Riding Instructor and National Assessor for Mounted Units in the UK . He has also served as a Major attached to the British Military Mission, used to train the Saudi Arabian National Guard in the use of horses for crowd control. He is an expert in the use of Horses for Mounted Crowd Control, and over the years he has trained upwards of 2000 Police officers and Army personnel. He presently conducts Police and Civilian Clinics for Mounted Police Worldwide and has for a number of years been the Senior Instructor involved in training Mounted Officers and Horses for the Mardi Gras in Mobile , Alabama. The 16 hour 2 day clinic trained riders how to desensitize their horse to hazardous situations such as fire, smoke, flares, and other spooking type obstacles, At the end of the clinic, riders were able to fire a gun from their horse's back while remaining mounted. The posse presently trains at least 2 times a month at the East Milton Arena. The Sheriff's Posse is an all volunteer non-sworn mounted unit that assists the Santa Rosa Sheriff's office when called upon. They participate in and patrol parades during the Christmas and Mardi Gras seasons, as well as other community events such as Kids Fest at the Gulf Breeze Zoo. They are also available to support search and rescue efforts should the need arise.