As a new hire with the Barrington Police Department, officer Brian Hansen never expected to be handling horses. On Wednesday, he found himself learning not only to halter a chestnut mare but how to blindfold her in case of a barn fire.
It was all part of a horse safety and rescue clinic hosted by the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society and the Riding Club of Barrington Hills.
More than 40 officers turned out Tuesday and Wednesday for the unusual sessions, held in a private Barrington Hills barn. They included police and firefighters from Barrington, Barrington Hills and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District.
Read more here. View the accompanying Daily Herald video here.
Do the local horse clubs reimburse the fire and police departments for the overtime pay it takes to have their staff attend these training sessions? When runaway horses are captured by the police how do they identify who they belong to? Is the owner of the loose horse(s) assessed any fee for the return of their animals?