Twelve horses that graduated from the Asbury University Service Mounts program participated in the National Mounted Police Colloquium from September 8-14 at the Kentucky Horse Park. These horses arrived from units including the Indianapolis Mounted Patrol, the Louisville Mounted Patrol, the Nashville Metropolitan Police, and the Kent County, Mich. Mounted Unit.
“Asbury is fortunate to be located in Central Kentucky, the heart of horse country,” said Asbury University President Dr. Kevin Brown. “As a Christian University that has spent well over a century in this region, we are so thankful to celebrate 25 years of having a world-class equestrian program with world-class staff and faculty on beautiful Kentucky bluegrass property.”
In 2001, through participation with the National Mounted Police Colloquium at the Kentucky Horse Park, Asbury University students began training Percheron/Thoroughbred crossed horses to be used for service mount units. Asbury University is the only university in the U.S. with a police horse training program.
The colts start with ground lessons of imprinting and leading, as well as several round-pen exercises and desensitization to various objects and obstacles. As two-year-olds, the horses are started under saddle, learn their balance with a rider at a walk, trot, canter, and then advance to additional noises and obstacles. Asbury expert trainers and students continue to train the horses through the ages of three or four and then sell the horses to service units around the United States and Canada.
“We really couldn’t be more pleased and blessed with the leadership opportunity this provides for our students or the amazing, unequaled quality of horses that are being sent from Asbury University — across the United States — to serve alongside the brave men and women who protect us daily as part of mounted units,” said Harold Rainwater, former Asbury Equine Director.
Last year, Asbury University welcomed Elizabeth Guthrie as the new Director for the Equine Center, honoring Harold Rainwater’s legacy of starting the program in 1997. As a horsewoman and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Guthrie carries a passion for walking alongside people and horses as they grow and develop into all that God calls them to be.
“My hope is that under my leadership the Equine Center can continue to hold its mission and vision: to strengthen students’ relationship to God, people, and horses,” Guthrie said. “I hope to further new opportunities for students through hands-on experiential learning, outreach in the community, and developing each student’s whole person, body, soul and spirit.”
Asbury University will host the Equine Visit Event on October 23-24. This unique opportunity is for high school students of all experience levels to become familiar with Asbury’s Equine program and resources. Register here.
In October of 2022, the Asbury University Equine Program dedicated the 29,000-square-foot Henry and Elsie Bayless Arena, a new facility that includes 26 stalls and a Western riding arena on Asbury’s 343-acre Equine property. This arena accommodates growth in the Police Mounts and Western Riding programs. Learn more about the Department of Equine Studies.