The horses of the U.S. Park Police Horse Mounted Patrol are a well-known sight on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Created in 1934 with just one horse, it’s now one of the oldest and most recognized equestrian units in the country.

The unit conducts crowd control, takes part in parades and interacts with the community.

Until recently, the horses were always based in rented stables.

“This facility was dark and gloomy. I would describe the stalls as little caves the horses lived in,” Park Police Lt. Anna Rose said. 

Earlier this year, through donations to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, new stables opened. An education center for the public to learn more about the unit will also open.

The new stables have a better drainage and waste management system, and the stalls are built so there’s proper air flow for the horses.

It’s a process for any officer to get ready for patrol.

Rose has spent 16 years with the Park Police and said the past two with the mounted unit are her favorite. She said the public reacts a little differently from when she patrolled on her own two feet.

“People look at you in such a different way. And I get it. I don’t want to get a ticket and get pulled over,” Rose said. “But people don’t think of that when they see a cop on a horse.’

One of the focuses of the unit is community engagement. People walking on the National Mall often stop to pet and take photos with the horses as they patrol around the monuments.

The horses also have a law enforcement role.

Rose said when it comes to crowd control, one horse is equivalent to seven to 10 officers on the ground. They’ve also been used to track a missing person and in police chases.

Many police departments around the country, including the neighboring U.S. Capitol Police, have shut down their mounted units because of high costs.

But the Park Police equestrian unit presses on, giving it a place in history just like the monuments it protects.