Maroc - TAIWANTODAY.TW - Taiwan Review - 01/12/2025 00:00

Horse Power

Mounted police in New Taipei and Kaohsiung cities protect and serve in a unique way. The NTMP joins 2025 National Day celebrations at the Presidential Office in Taipei. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)Last year’s National Day celebrations at the Presidential Office in Taipei City featured young athletes who won titles at the 2025 World Games, Summer World University Games and Little League Baseball World Series. They were cheered enthusiastically by the throng, and their escorts, eight horses and riders from the New Taipei City Police Department, added a distinct flair. The New Taipei Mounted Police (NTMP) unit was first integrated into the government’s Oct. 10 holiday celebrations two decades earlier, shortly after it came into existence. Taipei County, the precursor to New Taipei City, set up Taiwan’s first mounted police force in 2003, inspired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, even down to their red uniforms, said founding member Chang Chi-hsiang (張啟祥). Officials built relationships with international mounted police units to guide the development of Taiwan’s own mounted law enforcement teams, and when the Kaohsiung City Mounted Police (KCMP) unit was activated in 2005, more than 25 police officers from Chicago, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Portland and Tulsa in the U.S., as well as the Australian state of Queensland, attended the ceremony. Horses on duty bear the NTMP's badge. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)The NTMP rides horses stabled and cared for at Hannover Equestrian Club in Taipei City. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)An NTMP officer visits the Hannover club to practice equestrian skills. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)The structure of the mounted police force is as a special adjunct to other police duties. Horses owned by private stables are hired by the police on a long-term basis. Two mounted police officers patrol every afternoon in Banqiao District, the seat of New Taipei City Government, and on the weekends two more officers patrol a different tourist site each week. The NTMP is composed of 38 officers qualified as equestrians, including nine women. In Kaohsiung there are 30 officers, half of whom are women, who patrol on weekends and at special events. To join the mounted police, candidates must undergo 120 hours of equestrian skills training and earn a B1 certification from the national equestrian association, overseen by the Ministry of Sports. Applicants with foreign language abilities, especially in basic English conversation, are at an advantage in the evaluation process due to the high degree of interaction with international tourists required of mounted officers. Riding Skills The NTMP’s first assignment was the 2003 National Games. “We led the parade of competitors into the stadium for the opening ceremony,” recalled Chang. Mounted police then began to be posted at local tourist sites on weekends and holidays: Fisherman’s Wharf in Tamsui District, Longmi Riverside Park in Bali District, the Bitan recreation area in Xindian District and Yingge District’s old street, known for its ceramic studios. The KCMP’s weekend duty sites are similarly popular tourist spots in Kaohsiung, such as Lotus Pond, Central Park and the Pier-2 Art Center. Everyday duties for NTMP officers focus on Banqiao’s downtown area, a government, transportation and entertainment hub. Major events like the weekslong New Taipei Christmasland activities that have taken place annually since 2011 also enjoy the NTMP’s presence. When Taipei County was upgraded to a special municipality and renamed New Taipei City in 2010, the NTMP was further recognized as a symbol of the city’s growth and status. “We received greater funding and were able to recruit more members,” Chang said. A horse is bathed at the Hannover club. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)An NTMP officer cares for her mount. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)Several times a month mounted officers visit the stables at Hannover Equestrian Club in Taipei or Ciaotou Equestrian Center in Kaohsiung to maintain their practical skills by working with trainers and feeding and grooming their mounts. The contact helps build bonds and mutual trust with the powerful yet timid creatures, Chang said, pointing out that a horse’s instinctive response to a perceived threat is to flee. Rex Fang (方賜喜), deputy leader of the NTMP, agreed. “It’s important to read a horse’s body language, especially in the movements of its eyes and ears,” he said. “A rider must respond immediately to keep their mount calm and steady.” NTMP officer Jessica Liao (廖盈如) said that many things can cause a horse to startle, from movements as ordinary as opening umbrellas in their periphery to the loud noise of firecrackers going off nearby. “They’re trained not to react to unexpected stimuli, although it takes patience and a willingness for a rider to get back in the saddle if their horse was alarmed enough to throw them,” she said, emphasizing that basic police training in judo and tae kwon do provide a strong foundation for minimizing physical injuries. Mounted police say their elevated position gives them a broader and thus better view of congested situations. Fang recalled an experience on duty in crowded Yingge Old Street in which his vantage point on horseback allowed him to quickly spot a lost child. “We’re easily able to pursue an incident as required, whether on flat areas, hillsides or even stairs,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we work at scenic spots.”Kaohsiung City Mounted Police officers patrol near the Port of Kaohsiung. (Courtesy of Kaohsiung City Mounted Police)Hao Hsin-i, left, is a founding member of the KCMP unit and its current deputy leader. (Photo By Chen Mei-ling)Horse Sense Hao Hsin-i (郝心怡), a founding member of the KCMP and its current deputy leader, spoke of the broader influence of mounted police units. The KCMP’s official visits to counterparts overseas were illuminating, and Hao noticed how people are attracted to the presence of the animals. “Once I became a mounted officer, I was more aware of similar squads on my travels,” she said, citing experiences in Germany and the Netherlands. “Tourists are drawn to a police officer on a horse, making units like the KCMP an attraction as well as a reassuring presence.” Hao further noted that mounted units play a role in nurturing a positive relationship between the police and their communities. “Both children and adults are excited when they see us, especially in Taiwan where people don’t usually come across horses outside of zoos or equestrian centers,” she said. Mounted units draw media attention to important activities designed to enhance public awareness of fraud, drug addiction and other recurring crimes. Both the KCMP and NTMP anticipate an uptick in requests to attend public interest or charity events this year, as 2026 is the Year of the Horse in the lunar calendar. The NTMP and KCMP have established strong individual identities over their two-decade history, but their links with each other are also firm and long-standing. Two years after the KCMP was formed, Hao and fellow mounted officers attended a national police skills competition hosted at Taiwan Police College in Taipei, where they and the NTMP were invited to give performances. The two mounted police teams enjoy regular communication and maintain close ties, with Fang, Chang and other NTMP members traveling south to join a celebration of the KCMP’s 20th anniversary in 2025. Mounted police take pride in protecting the people they live and work among and offer a striking image of the vitality and international appeal of the cities they serve. Write to Pat Gao at cjkao@mofa.gov.tw