Four-Legged Law
The two newest members of NC State’s police force are strong, smart and easy to train.
Savannah and Phoenix are two Clydesdale horses who joined the NC State Police Department this summer. Yes, that’s the same breed that pulls a well-known beer wagon, although this pair is not as large as the ones in the Budweiser ads. But like all Clydesdales, they are known for their strength and easy temperament, as well as their trademark large hoofs covered with silky fur, known as “feathered feet.”
The two are cared for and ridden by officers Jeanne Miller ’09 and Jason Wright, who make up the Mounted Patrol Unit. The unit assists with crowd control, patrols campus and serves as goodwill ambassadors.
And Savannah and Phoenix are the perfect breed for this kind of work, the officers say. Draft horses like Clydesdales don’t have the same kind of flight response that some breeds do, Wright says, so they won’t spook at sudden loud noises or crowds. “And they’re lovable,” he adds.
NC State has had a mounted unit since 1987. Savannah and Phoenix, who live at NC State’s Reedy Creek Equine Unit, were part of a breeding herd in Georgia before they went into law enforcement.
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