He is tall, dark, and handsome! There has been an addition made to the Lafayette Police Department, and he is gorgeous.

This new addition is 18 hands tall which converts to six feet tall. According to those making this addition, the horse weighs about 1,600 pounds.

Troubadour is the name of the new Clydesdale horse that has been added to the Lafayette Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit.

According to their Facebook page, our newest friend will spend today adjusting to his surroundings.

Lafayette Mounted Division
LCG Photo
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The Mounted Division was started back in 2005 according to Lafayette Consolidated Government. One of the major ways that the six horses are used is for crowd control. The LCG website says having an officer on one horse is like having twenty officers in an area.

In addition to crowd control, the Mounted Division is used in other areas like the following:

  • Search and rescue
  • Education programs at schools as well as community events
  • Crowd safety at festivals and parades
  • Increased visibility for other officers as they are working in a crowd
  • Goodwill relations between the public and the Lafayette Police Department
Lafayette Mounted Division 3
LCG Photo
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The horses are trained for multiple hours each week by Sergeant Jason Ardoin, and they are used for a variety of different situations each week.

The current unit is made up of Troubadour, a Clydesdale, and five Thoroughbred/Percheron breeds. They choose these types of horses because they are typically larger than your average horse, they are docile and they are willing to do a hard day's work.

Two other things about these beautiful animals, they are either purchased or donated. If you think you might like to contribute, you can send an email to the Sergeant at jardoin@LafayetteLA.gov. You can also call 337-291-5607.

Officials say their newest hire will begin training tomorrow. Good luck, Troubadour!

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