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Royal Canadian Mounted Police

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:

We reserve the right to accept or refuse any applicants, grant special requests, or make any changes to the selection criteria.

Seminar 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:

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

Application form

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:

Attending the seminar

At the 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

Sample of seminar schedules for 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
  • Lecture: School etiquette and terminology
  • Demonstration: Lunging
  • School: (Demonstration and practical exercise) Control of horse by the proper use of hands, legs, seat
  • Artificial aids: (Demonstration and practical exercise) Halt, walk, rising / sitting trot
School: (Demonstration and practical exercise) Turn on forehand and leg yielding, rein back
  • School: Systematic warm-up and leg yielding and turn on forehand
  • Demonstration and practical exercise: Canter aids
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
  • Class photos
  • 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

Sample of seminar schedules for 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
  • Course critique: Log cabin
  • Presentation of certificates
9 am Review systematic warmup, use of ground poles (stiff horses) Figure 8 School: Warm up, troop drill
  • Watch Musical Ride rehearsal
  • Disciplined schooling
    • Q. Marker, canter
    • H. Marker, walk
    • Q. Marker-halt, etc.
  • Walk training
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
  • No riding
  • Three and four year old remounts
Groom and tack horses Course ends
2:00 pm School: Review canter aids School: Gym line and individual jumps Demo on lunging Collection exercises
  • Shoulder in
  • Turn on the haunches
  • Rein Back
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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