Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd introduced the department's newest members this week. Valor and Grace, two miniature horses, are joining the Cleveland Police Mounted Patrol Unit as its latest recruits, tasked with patrolling neighborhoods, appearing at community events, and helping officers manage the stress of the job.
A Century-Old Unit Gets a Tiny Update
The names Valor and Grace were announced by Chief Todd with input from the community, according to News 5 Cleveland. The Cleveland Police Mounted Patrol Unit has existed for more than 100 years, a legacy that dates to its formal establishment in 1911 under Police Chief Fred Kohler, according to the Cleveland Police Museum.
That legacy includes national recognition well beyond Cleveland's neighborhoods. Per the Cleveland Police Museum, the Mounted Unit won the 1933 World Championship in Military Mounted Drill. The unit has also participated in presidential inauguration parades and events honoring fallen leaders.
How the Idea Came Together
The idea for miniature horses didn't originate inside the department. The Cleveland Police Foundation proposed the concept, and the department's traffic commissioner, who oversees the Mounted Unit, presented the miniature horse proposal to Chief Todd, per the same News 5 Cleveland report. Cleveland Police initially brought in one miniature horse before the pairing with a second was arranged.
Valor and Grace had been kept together before arriving in Cleveland, and the two experienced separation anxiety when apart, according to the station's report. That bond appears to have shaped how the department is introducing them, with plans to let them acclimate together before easing into public duty.
Funded by Donors, Not Taxpayers
One former Cleveland Police Foundation member who helped fund the miniature horses is the grandson of one of the Mounted Unit's founders, the outlet reported. Freddy Diaz said the moment represented a full circle moment for the unit's history. That family connection underscores a financial structure that keeps the horses off the city's books entirely: while Cleveland pays officer salaries and maintains facility infrastructure, all horse-related costs, including acquisitions, feed, equipment, and veterinary care, are funded entirely by private donations to the Cleveland Mounted Police Charitable Trust and the Cleveland Police Foundation, the department's official 501(c)(3) charitable partner.
That private-funding model has kept the unit alive through hard times before. The Cleveland Mounted Unit faced complete elimination during severe municipal budget cutbacks in 2003, with active mounts dropping to just three horses, but was preserved and rebuilt after civic activism by the Committee to Save the Cleveland Mounted Police and subsequent private fundraising, according to The Tremonster.
Why Miniature Horses, Specifically
Federal regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act recognize dogs as service animals and provide a separate provision requiring reasonable accommodation for individually trained miniature horses, per the U.S. Department of Justice. Entities must modify policies to permit miniature horses where reasonable, considering whether the animals are housebroken, under handler control, can be accommodated given their size and weight, and pose no safety risk.
Cleveland isn't alone in leaning on mini horses for public engagement. Florida's Ocala Police Department has integrated miniature horses into its ranks as honorary officers or therapy animals in recent years, according to the Ocala Police Department, which notes mini therapy horses are frequently used in youth literacy programs and trauma response outreach nationally.
Officer Wellness and Community Trust
Miniature horses will support community engagement and, per Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd, officer wellness once Valor and Grace acclimate to the area and the division. Chief Todd said the horses are intended to make community interactions less intimidating, a goal that extends beyond public relations.
Chief Todd leads Cleveland Police.
Once acclimated, Valor and Grace are expected to appear at community events and patrol neighborhoods alongside the unit's full-sized mounts. The Mounted Unit's newer home replaced a 70-year-old stable on East 38th Street that was slated for demolition under the state's Interstate 90 highway realignment project. The department broke ground on the site in December 2021.
