Mounted Police Seminar
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Since 1988, the RCMP has proudly offered a two-week Mounted Police Seminar to outside mounted law enforcement units. The seminar takes place 2 to 3 times per year, between February and April at the Musical Ride Stables in Ottawa, Ontario.
Do you qualify?
To qualify for the seminar, you must meet 1 of 2 criteria:
- be a member of a full-time accredited mounted unit within your police department
- take part in a part-time and/or volunteer mounted law enforcement program
We reserve the right to accept or refuse any applicants, grant special requests, or make any changes to the selection criteria.
Seminar dates
Mounted Police Seminars will not be offered in 2025. Please check back for 2026 dates.
You only need to cover your travel costs
There is no charge for the seminar, but candidates must cover their own travel costs. This includes:
- meals
- accommodations
- vehicle rentals if necessary
- transportation costs to and from the seminar
Free parking is available and candidates can purchase meals on site at the cafeteria. There are local full service hotels conveniently located near the seminar and within walking distance of shopping and restaurants.
What you'll learn
You'll receive basic equitation training in the dressage discipline, along with an introduction to jumping techniques. Our teaching and riding follows classical training, so we use only English-style riding equipment.
A chance to network
Every seminar has members from many different mounted law enforcement units. It's an excellent opportunity to exchange and share equine information and training methods. It also provides an important link to other police organizations.
Applying to take the seminar
We'll review all requests and contact selected candidates with the date of their seminar. We assign seminar spots on a first-come, first-served basis. We'll only contact applicants selected for 1 of the seminars offered each year.
We keep the application forms of candidates who were not selected. If they reapply, these candidates will have priority for the following year.
Apply every year
If you were not successful in your application for the Mounted Police Seminar this year, you'll need to reapply next year if you want to take part.
Important information to know before you attend the seminar
Before attending the seminar, please note:
- you can't bring firearms into Canada
- you'll need your dress uniform if you want to take photos or to attend any formal functions
- although all riding will take place inside a heated riding school, you'll need warmer clothing for extracurricular activities during the February and March courses
- you need proper riding apparel, including
- boots
- a riding helmet
- breeches or leather chaps/leggings
- this is a very physical course, so in addition to the riding aspects, candidates should also be prepared to participate in activities related to the care of horses, including:
- tack
- grooming
- cleaning stalls
- feeding the horses
Attending the seminar
At the seminar:
- you'll need to sign a waiver of liability
- hours of instruction are from 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday
- you must report to Building "E" at 8 am on the first morning of seminar
- Musical Ride Centre address
-
1 Sandridge Rd.
P.O. Box 8900
Ottawa ON K1A 0R2
Canada
For more information on our Mounted Police Seminar contact us at 613-998-0754.
Sample of seminar schedules
Week 1
Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 am | Introduction of instructors, welcome, orientation, demonstrations: grooming, tacking up, adjustments | Grooming and tacking up of horses | Grooming and tacking up of horses | Grooming and tacking up of horses | Grooming and tacking up of horses |
9:30 am |
|
|
School: (Demonstration and practical exercise) Turn on forehand and leg yielding, rein back |
|
School: Review systematic warm-up and troop drill |
10:30 am | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break |
11:00 am | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed |
12:00 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
1:00 pm | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses |
|
Groom and tack horses |
2:00 pm | School: Lunging: Practical, use of whips / voice | Demonstration and practical exercise: Systematic - Warm-up, Leg and Rein Aids, Rising Trot | School: Systematic warm up (Demonstration and practical exercise) Cycle of Impulsion | Review of the material seen in the morning | Instructors discretion |
3:30 pm | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break |
4:00 pm | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed |
Week 2
Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 am | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses |
|
9 am | Review systematic warmup, use of ground poles (stiff horses) Figure 8 | School: Warm up, troop drill |
|
Review all to date | |
10:30 am | Break | Break | Break | Break | |
11:00 am | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | |
12:00 pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
1:00 pm | Groom and tack horses | Groom and tack horses |
|
Groom and tack horses | Course ends |
2:00 pm | School: Review canter aids | School: Gym line and individual jumps | Demo on lunging |
Collection exercises
|
|
3:30 pm | Break | Break | Break | Break | |
4:00 pm | Clean tack, groom and feed | Clean tack, groom and feed | Feed | Clean tack, groom and feed |
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