Texas Business reports:  The Woodlands—Mounted officers from area police departments will join Troopers from the Alpha & Omega (A&O) Mounted Security Patrol for specialized training for horseback patrols. 

The A&O Certification Academy will be held at the Willis Ag Arena in Willis near Houston, Wednesday through Saturday.

A&O instructors often work with police departments across the country to provide the specialized training

Participants in the academy include Troopers assigned to The Woodlands Township patrols and officers from the City of Keller Police Department and from the City of West Monroe, LA, Police Department.  They will be trained in a variety of crowd management and situation monitoring techniques.  Graduates and their horses will demonstrate skills at a graduation ceremony on Saturday, February 19, which is open to the public and includes a helicopter drill with the horses.   

The academy is designed to put the Trooper and mount through the most extensive, challenging situations.  Riders learn to control their horses surrounded by sensory extremes like fireworks, sirens, helicopter noise, smoke and flares. A helicopter drill will demand that horse and rider withstand several simulated chopper situations common at large events: fly-overs, hovering, circling and high speed dive bombing. The "final exam" requires that horse and rider successfully navigate an obstacle course of bridges, sprinklers, cans, and other barriers.

As the only private mounted horse patrol company in the nation, Alpha & Omega stages the academy to certify riders in professional security measures.  Company founder and Chief Executive Officer Frank Keller has custom-designed the curriculum to equip Troopers to perform various security tasks that protect public safety and property.

“Law enforcement groups have recognized the value of specialized mounted training like that offered by the A&O instructors,” Keller explained.  “During our 21-year history, we have developed a program that covers all the skills needed for a mounted officer and a trained horse.”

A&O mounted patrols are on the front line of security at many places where the public gathers and always work closely with local police departments.  Mounted officers are especially effective as a deterrent to criminal activity.  They are sitting almost ten feet in the air with a wide range of vision often making them the most visible presence in a comprehensive security system. This academy is designed to prepare riders and horses for maximum effectiveness in both routine patrols and dangerous situations.

Alpha & Omega Mounted Security Patrol, family owned and operated since 1990, is the nation's largest and oldest private mounted patrol.  Trained, uniformed troopers provide public safety services at mixed use developments, amphitheaters, music festivals and other mass gatherings at locations across the United States.