Jul 15, 2025
In this episode of Behind the Star, we visit the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit to learn what it’s really like to patrol on horseback.
Master Deputy Lindsay Gonzalez and Corporal Niko Velazquez share how they joined the mounted unit, what it takes to train for the job and the strong bonds formed between deputies and their horses.
Lindsay and Niko talk about patrol work, crowd control, parades, and how horses play a role in community engagement and search and rescue. They also discuss training challenges, funny stories from the field, and what it’s like when a horse retires.
0:44 – History and purpose of the
unit
2:30 – Horses:
how many, how they’re assigned, and their
personalities
7:20 – Daily
care, barn duties, and the reality of poop
patrol
10:32 – Matching
horses to events and understanding their
temperaments
11:34 – Where
the horses come from and why most are donated
15:13 – Meet
James, Justice, Grace, Alessandro, Pocket Change, Remington, Pete,
and Blackjack
29:14 –
Retirement: when, why, and where they go
31:00 – Law
enforcement uses: presence, patrol, and search and
rescue
35:12 –
Memorable stories, de-escalations, and the public’s love for the
unit
39:20 – Weird
snacks, funny habits, and diva horses
42:00 – Horses’
intelligence, emotions, and long memories