A Dressage HorseJoins the Police Force

Written by previous ownerof Oreo - Jd Sosa

Jd Sosa and OreoOfficer Steve and Oreoat Atlanta Mounted Patrol Unit

In the fall of 2006 I found myself a bit down after some equine-life setbacks. So, I had an impulse to start all over again and my first thought of a new beginning began with me finding a new horse. The only pre-requisite that I could think of, beside the standard ones, was that he/she had to be a very young horse. I felt that a very young horse would present the biggest challenge, which was a need my soul was seeking. After some research online and asking around I found Oreo, a big Spotted Percheron/TB cross. Oreo was bred and brought up by a family in South Carolina. I trusted my instincts and decided not to go all the way to Jacksonville, SC, knowing that somewhere deep down he was the right choice. I hired a local vet who did the pre-purchase exam and a horse transporter from the area. One week later Oreo arrived to West Cobb, GA at a farm where I boarded him.

A Big Boy CalledOreo Cookie

The moment Oreo came out of that horse trailer I almost sat on the curb to cry. He was four scrawny legs and all ears. He had no muscles and only sharp bones protruding from a dingy coat. He was 17 hands tall and only 28 months old. All I could think was, “What in the world was I thinking?” A challenge was what I sought, and here it was. A rather large, rather unpredictable challenge.

From the very first day Oreo came into my world my whole life changed. For the next 7 years, my “little” challenge took me on some of the greatest adventures of my experience on horseback. Ambitiously, I entered my newly established partner and I into a Hunter Pace just four weeks after his arrival. I believe he was the youngest horse ever involved in a Hunter Pace, not to mention the tallest and greenest. That day I remember a couple of ladies at the barn telling me that I was completely out of my mind. They did not know that I really was, and at a point in life where I was welcoming challenges, and Oreo was destined to be my comrade for exploration. Twice every year we continued participating in these Hunter Pace events. Oreo and I had great times and great adventures in the open fields as we expanded ourselves and our trust for one another.

In 2007 and 2008, almost every week we would leave the homestead for the hills to explore the trails of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. During this time I converted our property into a horse-friendly home for Oreo and his brother Cookie Dough. I built a trail around the property and rode him around the neighborhood every day since I did not have an arena. Oreo and I always found ways to stretch our legs even when space was limited. In 2009 I moved Oreo and his brother Cookie (Cookie is another store for later) to Wilson Farm in Milton. Along with his physical transition came a disciplinary transition as well. Yet another challenge that Oreo and I were eager to face together. While at Wilson, Oreo was introduced to dressage and fences by trainer and eventer Lauren Weil. Oreo was successful in the show ring, but a respiratory problem kept him from the high demands of intensive training.

Throughout the years of our partnership Oreo became a very strong horse full of muscle, well proportionated with the shiniest, most beautiful coat I have ever seen on a horse. My beautiful “challenge” had grown from a stick legged colt into a proud statuesque steed, sparkling on the outside the way he always had within. He was a sensation among all the attendees everywhere he went. He was quite the eye catcher with his tremendous presence paired with a distinctive black and white coat with markings that stood out as if to say, “Yeah, get a good look, I’m unique.” Even with his fantastic physical attributes, it was his personality that often left the strongest impression on those who met him. Oreo was a gentle soul despite his size, with a comedy streak a mile wide. He brought smiles to the faces of adults and children alike because of his accepting, warm and relatable energy.

In 2010 we bought the farm next door to Wilson Farm. This time Oreo showed us the way and we made the move for him. Oreo traded in his show bridle for trail riding gear and we continued to find paths to suit where we were, always exploring new directions. A new direction led me to a new discovery that competition was to be my next track. That journey with Oreo led me to an understanding of my desire to pursue an intensive and competitive show schedule with one of Oreo’s barn mates. With the time and energy demands of my new competition endeavor it was difficult for me to budget time to take Oreo out on the trails. He expressed his boredom by breaking fences. A once a week trip to the feed store now became a ritualistic stop at Home Depot to buy boards. I felt bad for my body and bad for my Oreo. Even though he was out of work he still kept me smiling with his jokes and occurrences from morning to evening.

One day I got a call from a gentleman from the Atlanta Police Mounted Squad. They asked me about Oreo and inquired about meeting him. I spoke to my wife Cristina about the prospect of our Oreo in law enforcement and she convinced me that it could be an interesting job for our big boy. This was to be the final “challenge” in my relationship with Oreo. As difficult as it was to see him move on, I trusted

that he would go on to work where he could be the hero that he had always been to me. Oreo has been now more than 3 months living in Atlanta at the police’s stable. We receive frequent reports about his training progress and visit our boy at his new office whenever we get the chance. Oreo has a job, is busy, happy and making a lot of people smile every single day.

Atlanta Horse Connections visited Oreo and his new partner Officer Steve Overstreet in the Mounted Patrol Unit in Atlanta. We asked Officer Steve to tell us a little more about Oreo’s new job as a police horse. Steve said that Oreo is enjoying his new job and his life in the police barn. He is still in training and learing how to adapt to the unpredictable situations on the streets of Atlanta, but he is gaining his confidence every day. Steve has been a horseman since early age. He has a farm on his own raising Swedish Warmbloods. It is not a requirement for the job to have prior horse experience - having the knowledge of horses is very helpful to assist equine partners in transition to accept new responsibilities and to learn new skills.

Officer Steve and Oreoat Atlanta Mounted Patrol Unit

There are 15 horses in the Mountain Police Barn. Oreo is a part of a group of 4 new comers. Mounted patrol units are a critical component of law enforcement and are the best method of crowd control for festivals, parks and major sporting events. Mounted Patrol Unit offers a lot of educational programs to the community as well. They visit local schools and create educational programs for children and residents of Atlanta to educate people about these gentle giants.

If you would like to find out more about Atlanta Mountain Patrol Unit please contact Officer Steve Overstreet for more information.

www.atlantapolicefoundation.org/

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