The Mounted Patrol Unit is staffed by three Officers and their horses. The Horses are owned and cared for by the individual Officers; the City subsidizes a portion of their feed and shoeing expenses. The equipment for the Mounted Patrol Unit is provided through donations and various fund raisers. Mounted Patrol Officers train once each month.  The Unit’s focus is on crowd control as well as public relations; it is utilized at the Downtown Farmers Market, Merced County Fair and at the Merced Mall during Christmas season. The Mounted Patrol Unit has been universally recognized as one of the outstanding Mounted Patrol Units in the Central Valley.