Horses as a crowd control method...

[Earth_First]

I've gotta say that this tactic bothers me greatly.

I'm told that these horses are given extensive training in order to tolerate large crowd/demonstration/protest situations.

Bollocks.

I've seen these horses in extremely chaotic, highly-emotional situations in NYC and the look of sheer terror in their eyes is unforgettable.

I've seen plenty of police horses who stomp feet when they are nervous, a very dangerous situation for everyone involved.

I wish they would reconsider this.

[Lint Head]

1. Horses can be unpredictable and easily spooked, even the ones that are considered laid back.

[Glimmer of Hope]

2. I remember being face to face with one right before a anti-war rally in DC.

Horse was calm but it made me very nervous.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. I was backed up by police on horses when celebrating the Chicago Bulls four-peat in downtown Chicago

No one was hurt, but that's not to say people never get hurt by them.

Are horses now being used in NYC?

[Pharaoh]

4. They are preferable to tanks

and you know they won't be spraying any tear gas near them. Actually pretty gentle creatures who do not want to hurt you.

[Earth_First]

7. No, they do not want to hurt you at all...

Horses are amazing, loving creatures.

It's their handlers that put them in uncomfortable situations...

[KT2000]

5. Saw horses used at

Mardi Gras in New Orleans (on video) I have to say that they were very impressive and effective against drunk belligerent people. The horse sidled up so the person was to his side and the person was looking at the huge side of the horse. The people calmed down and backed up immediately - no backtalk no nothing.

Also saw horses used at the WTO march in Seattle. The horrible part was that the horses were forced to breath the tear gas the police were throweing at the crowd. They have huge nostrils and can't avoid the stuff.
The horses were in a line and the police moved as a phalanx to move the people back.

[elehhhhna]

11. they're essentially a mobile barricade

still sorta creepy tho.

[notadmblnd]

6. Stay behind them, collect their shit and toss it at the NYSE

[PETRUS]

8. K&R - horses generally don't like the city. nt

[Kievan Rus]

9. Mubarak's thugs used horses and camels to attack protesters in Egypt

[valerief]

10. Right, and they even ran over protesters with cars. That'll be next on Wall St. nt

[Exilednight]

12. They manuever the horses sideways, then begin to slowly move them. The backend of the horse is

typically face the front end of another horse.