AIKEN --- To be a part of a police department's mounted patrol takes skill on the part of the officer and the horse.

"It's a combination of the confidence of the rider and the confidence of the horse," said Capt. Wendell Hall, of Aiken Public Safety, whose division oversees the department's mounted patrol.

Last week, Aiken Public Safety played host to the South Carolina Mounted Patrol Association's annual training and certification.

Police officers and their horses from 15 mounted patrol units in South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky attended the weeklong training.

The training and certification are for both horse and rider.

The horse is exposed to different sounds to see how it will respond. A variety of noises tests the horse's temperament; they include a grocery cart rolling by with items clattering around inside, the loud swooshing of carbon dioxide shooting from a fire extinguisher, and the rat-a-tat-tat of firecrackers to simulate gunfire.

"When they set off a fire extinguisher, the horse has to stand and not bolt and run," Capt. Hall said. "When they set off firecrackers, the horse has to stay in a 4-foot square."

The rider is responsible for how the horse responds to the noises and how well it negotiate obstacles.

A variety of breeds accompanied the visiting mounted patrol officers.

"Everything from a thoroughbred to a Tennessee walker, as well as some standardbred horses," Capt. Hall said. The decision on what breed to use is up to the agency and the rider.

The breed is not as important as the temperament of the horse, he said.

"Not every horse can become a mounted horse," he said. "They look for a certain temperament, and the compatibility with the rider."

Reach Michelle Guffey at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or michelle.guffey@augustachronicle.com.