Office of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney

By Det. Shannon Garner

I was feeling like I had been given a present with the break in the recent cold weather, when I received another real treat with a visit from my former coworkers in the Mounted Unit.  The “guys” stopped by my current assignment with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office during a regular patrol day of the downtown area.  Officers Ray Alexander, Marty Parks, Joe Warren and Dan Edge, accompanied by veterans Paco, Nomar, Zeus, and the new kid, Nitro, stopped by to allow me to visit with former equine partners I grew to respect so much while being a member of the Mounted Unit.

Shannon visits with the Mounted Unit.

My partners were Pete and Ernie during my time in the Unit, but I felt as if all of the horses grew to be friends. They each had distinct personalities, strengths and weaknesses, but were all magnificent in their own way.  It is one thing to develop a relationship with an animal, however it is an indescribable feeling to rely on an animal for your job.

I had no horse experience before joining the Unit, but quickly came to realize that this would become a full partnership with my assigned horse; a partnership that would require much hard work and bravery on each of our parts to successfully do our job and return to the barn at the end of the shift.  No, we were not dodging bullets or chasing bank robbers on a daily basis, but, as anyone with horse experience knows, traffic and other obstacles can prove just as dangerous on the back of a horse.

Regardless of the assignment or task, though, all of the horses in the Unit gave heroic efforts each and every day.
So, on nicer days, when I get a chance to pat the “guys’” noses and say hello, I miss being a part of their mission, patrolling the streets of Lexington and getting a chance to talk with lots of other horse lovers around Lexington who, like me, could not resist the urge to pat the horses’ noses either.  Then, it gets cold again, I remember all of the days with frozen faces, hands, and feet, and then I quickly become content with the short visits where I can say “hello,” get my “horse fix” and get back to working cases in a warm office.