Kitson Kids Adventure: A Tour of the Kent County Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit
Recently, I organized a fun family adventure for the kids on my street, and we toured the Mounted Unit of the Kent County Sheriff's Office. The Mounted Unit, located right across the street from the Freshman Center, is where the horses are housed and cared for. Our tour was led by Sergeant Bryan Clark and Officer Kaylyn Stephens.
We learned about how the horses are cared for and groomed. Their main service is crowd control, community enrichment and search and rescue, making them an essential part of the community.
History of the Mounted Unit
In 2003, Millennium Park in Walker opened. Sheriff Stelma (retired) felt a mounted unit would be an effective method of policing the 1,400 acres of less accessible areas, which included natural areas, remote trails, lakes, and streams. In 2005, Sheriff Stelma proposed creating a mounted unit to the Kent County Sheriff's Office Traffic Squad. During the two-year project, the KCSO Traffic Squad met with and interviewed mounted units nationwide to discuss the ideal breed, age, and gender of mounted unit horses, preferred saddles and tack, and facility ideas. In 2007, the Kent County Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit was created.
The Facility
The Mounted Unit's first facility was at the Kent County Sheriff's Office Honor Camp, a facility for the Kent County Correctional Facility's non-violent offenders. Housing the horses at the facility provided work opportunities for the inmates. After the Honor Camp closed in 2011, the KCSO identified a future facility site in Rockford. A private family donated 31 acres to the Kent County Parks Department, which granted the land to the KCSO, intending to make the property accessible to the public.
The 20,000-square-foot indoor training center comprises 11 stalls, a locker room, a classroom, and an indoor riding arena. The arena is used by local 4-H groups and middle and high school riding teams and provides recreational riding opportunities for persons with special needs. The entire facility was constructed without taxpayer money through donations and sponsorships. The entire project, other than the sheriff's salaries, is still funded by private donations. When I asked about the annual budget for the project, Sergeant Clark answered, "A lot!"
Unique Aspects and Community Involvement
Our mounted unit is the only one in the country that goes to help at the Kentucky Derby. The horses are trained by Kathy Walters in the dressage riding style. If you want to see all the photos of the horses, here are the ones on active duty and retired.
Sergeant Clark shared that horses are only afraid of two things: “something that moves and something that doesn’t,” so the horses are extensively trained. Deputy Emily Gerke showed us some of the moves they do with the horses to keep them active and trained.
I asked if the jobs get filled by horse lovers turned police officers or police officers turned horse lovers. He said both paths are taken. We learned about their training, saw where they live, and what they eat. The whole experience was really fun, and it was most interesting to learn that the project is privately funded. If we can get a world-renowned mounted unit without using taxpayer dollars, imagine what else is possible for our community. Pretty darn awesome! I’m so grateful to live in a community where you are measured more by how much you give than by how much you make. Thank you to the Seccia family and others for making the mounted unit so cool.
Visit and Support
Did you know you can request a tour or have the mounted unit at your next event? Learn more at Access Kent.
You can also make a donation and send the payment here.
Kent County Traffic Squad Community Action Fund
701 Ball Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Please note on the check that the donation is for the Mounted Unit
