Deployment and command structure

Mounted police have statutory and common law powers and duties in relation to public order public safety (POPS), which must be exercised in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights under the Human Rights Act 1998. Police powers and duties in relation to the policing of protests include those set out in:

• POPS APP
• Public Order Act 2023
• Public Order Act 1986
• Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
• Criminal Law Act 1967 
• Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
• Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006

Mounted officers should follow the guidance on police use of force in the POPS APP, in line with the mounted branch tactical options on Knowledge Hub (you will need to sign in).

Officers must ensure that a horse is fit for duty prior to deployment. A horse may be ridden for anywhere from four to eight hours on average during any given event. There should be periods of rest within any operational deployment that requires a mounted asset to ensure that horses’ welfare needs are met. Daily tasking patrols can range from two to four hours depending on the physical needs of the horse, current training of the horse and other commitments, as per individual force arrangements.

Horse welfare needs must be managed post-event to ensure that maximum rest periods available are maintained. 

Mounted officers will regularly be deployed to support tactical operations. They are also deployed to POPS events, including:

• demonstrations
• large-scale sporting events
• music events and concerts 
• other events that involve mass gatherings of people

In addition to these POPS deployments, mounted assets are regularly used in a community engagement capacity. There is some evidence that their use for community engagement may have a positive effect on public engagement, trust and confidence. This is described in RAND Europe’s report, Making and breaking barriers.