MovieChat Forums > Due South (1994) Discussion > Mounties don't ride horses anymore!

Mounties don't ride horses anymore!

posted 19 years ago by SiameseCat
23 replies | jump to latest

Hello fellow DueSers,

Was on holiday in Dorset last week where I got talking to a Canadian couple who were very impressed that I recognised them as Canadian as every other English person they had met thought they were Americans - which apparently doesn't go down well. Didn't have the heart to tell them I was tuned in to their accent because I religiously watch DS every night! Anyway, we somehow got on to the RCMP and they said that they don't use horses anymore just boring old police cars, the horses are only used for ceremonial stuff now. I may never recover from the disappointment!

"She shot me in the hat Ray"

[–] Crying_Banshee 19 years ago

It is a huge let down.

[–] SquirrelBot3000 19 years ago

In fairness, its hard to chase something with 200 horsepower down with, well, ONE horsepower. ;)

[–] theworldastage 19 years ago

:D I could have told you that, I'm from Canada!

Uh, sorry for the disappointment too. Except I think they do still ride on special occasions...

[–] JEDI_G-PRIME 19 years ago

Some still ride horses. I live in Toronto and occasionally see them on horses..usually two at a time. though they don't wear the red suit of course...only for special occasions. The horses are still used in town just for patrolling, i doubt they would try to chase someone too far on a horse. I think they still use them mainly for traditional reasons. It's part of our heritage.

[–] gkirwan-1 19 years ago

As a proud Canadian I also have to point out that both Mounties and regular police do occasionally ride horses when performing crowd control duties.

[–] Sebulbasaur 18 years ago

Same in Ireland, regular Gardai patrol on horseback (I've seen them on horseback in town several times) and perform crowd control duties at large events such as sport matches (usually soccer, ugh hate that 'sport') and large concerts

[–] CokeBear17 19 years ago

You've seen Mounties on horseback patrolling Toronto? Umm, I'd think that would not be anything but a diplomatic duty, since there are at least 2 levels of police whose jurisdiction would override the RCMP in Toronto (OPP and Toronto Police).

I don't recall ever seeing OPP officers on horseback, just motorcycles, but the Toronto police definitely have some mounted officers for park patrols and crowd control, etc.

In Nova Scotia (lived there for a few years), you'd see the RCMP in almost nothing other than a standard police cruiser, though.

PolarBear (The Original CokeBear)

http://figjam.3-a.net

[–] apache1701 8 years ago

I believe those are generally the municipal police; they maintain a stable on the CNE grounds. Hamilton police occasionally have mounted officers too.

[–] mtlwritermom 19 years ago

They actually do ride horses when it's appropriate. I've seens it a lot in certain area's, like on the Mount Royal (Montreal), where you can't drive in the park (and bikes can't get everywhere) but police presence is essential. But no, they don't ride up to some criminals house on a horse when serving a warant...

The Serge is definitely not worn other than for ceremonial purpouses. I don't think it was Ever worn for anything other than ceremonial purposes. I was 19 (9 years ago) the only time I saw a Mountie in Red Serge, and I think he was an actor!

We'd be a complete laughingstock if the RCMP did try and impliment some of their missions (like taking down organised biker gangs) on horses. I think it's better this way, less danger for the horses too!

[–] noodlepie54 19 years ago

i think the same thing applies in the UK, we have some mounted coppers, but there not often on regular patrol, i live in Liverpool and when theres a big football(soccer)match or basically anything where there will be crowds of people around like a protest or a street party or anything, they bring out the mounted cops, not always for cermonial purposes, i think more cos they need the extra height to make sure people aren'te like, killin each other in the crowd and stuff, plus its easier to manouver(sp) a horse through densely packed people than say, a van, lol

I love seein the horses out but i hate it too cos im really really badly allergic to em so if they get to close to me i all but die, which can ruin your day really!

Im gutted the mounties dont ride horses any more, i was gonna go to canada next year for school and the main thing i was really amped for was seeing the mounties, i've been watchin DS since i got home, loving everyminute of it, i have to say tho, i kindas prefer Callum to the original ray, the old guy was a legend and funny as all hell but i've seen callum in other stuff and i think the sort of tension thats there between him and fraser but kinda isnt there too, like they're friends but theres that distance cos of the old ray, makes the whole thing so cool to watch, lol!!

'You should be careful what you say...Damn is more than just a word'

[–] CokeBear17 19 years ago

Well, now, it would be pretty easy to maneuver a van through a crowd if you didn't care what happened to the crowd... be just a bunch of fleshy speed numps. But when not trying to just mush folks, yeah, horses are a lot better... ;)

People seem to miss the point that Fraser was attached to a Canadian Embassy, and therefore had a ceremonial duty in Due South - that's why he wears the scarlet serge. If you walk into an RCMP station in Canada, they are just dressed like regular police everywhere else in Canada, with variations on the colouring - they don't even wear cool hats.

(See http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/history/toc_e.htm
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/uniform/red_serge_e.htm and
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/musicalride/index_e.htm)

PolarBear (The Original CokeBear)

http://figjam.3-a.net

[–] noodlepie54 19 years ago

hehehe, fleshy speed bumps, nice, hehehehe
i want a mountie uniform, its just so impressive, whenever you see fraser and turnbull walking around in them its just like, whoah!

'You should be careful what you say...Damn is more than just a word'

[–] mtlwritermom 19 years ago

You're right, I forgot about the going out into could-become-a-riot crowds. And hey, I'M super allergic to horses too, so I get that!

Where are you moving to? It's not like there's no way you'll ever see a mountie. You may even see oen in full Serge... it's just that they won't be on every street corner (unless your in a place where the RCMP acts as the provincial police).

Good luck with your move. And I like Callum-as-Ray more too. Love their easy-going-yet-full-of-heartache-chemistry.

[–] noodlepie54 19 years ago

it was gonna be ottawa but its kinda fallen through now =( (thanx for the luck tho)but i might go out there any way for a holiday just to see a mounite, its my mission now, lol!!

And its good to meet some one super allergic to horses too, i know alot of people are but how many of em on this board?thats right....

i get dead upset though cos i'd love to ride horses, but the unpleasant death puts me off some what...

it was the ep where old ray comes back, the end of the show, last night, CallumRay was all 'who am i supposed to be then!?' and it was so sad!!

'You should be careful what you say...Damn is more than just a word'

[–] Sebulbasaur 18 years ago

when theres a big football(soccer)match or basically anything where there will be crowds of people around like a protest or a street party or anything, they bring out the mounted cops, not always for cermonial purposes, i think more cos they need the extra height to make sure people aren'te like, killin each other in the crowd and stuff
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You forgot to add it gives them a higher vantage point when they need to whack someone with a baton because they're being violent.

Want to hear something really retarded?:

A 19 year old man came out drunk from a nightclub late at night and proceeded to go up to a mounted policeman and say: "Your horse is gay".
The policeman arrested him, he was charged and it went to court! The judge threw the case out because, wait for it, the horse couldn't be relied on to give evidence in the case!
It happened somewhere in England.
If you ask me, the policeman in question should be charged with wasting both police and court time and money

[–] Lavolanges 19 years ago

RCMP on the Mont Royal? Wouldn't that be the Montreal Urban Community Police?

[–] carmelalevesque 19 years ago

YOu are right. The Montreal Police Service (SPVM) has a cavalry of mounted patrol officers who mainly patrol Parc Mont-Royal and the other regional parks in the city.

I don't think we would see any RCMP in Montreal unless there was some kind of national security issue and we needed extra help. I'm a MOntrealer and I've never seen a Mountie in Mtl, but plenty of mounted police officers when strolling on the Mont-Royal.

[–] Lavolanges 19 years ago

Oh the RCMP are definitely in Montreal, that's where "C" Division Headquarters is located. In Québec they are responsible for 'federal' investigations, IOW, enforcing federal laws, as opposed to community policing. My brother was posted to Montréal immediately after graduating from Depot, then 3 years in Carleton, then several in Trois-Rivières.

[–] carmelalevesque 19 years ago

Well, I stand corrected then. That does make sense. I didn't know they were in Montreal, I would have thought in Quebec City. I guess I just never asked myself that question before and I suppose I have just never seen any, and certainly not on horses on the Mont-Royal!

[–] Lavolanges 19 years ago

I never would expect to see a member of the RCMP on horseback on the Mont-Royal. The only times I've seen them on horseback was in parades or at the Musical Ride.

[–] and_then_some 16 years ago

watching Due South is awesome and soo funny, but in all seriousness I want to become a RCMP officer when i finish University (this was decided before being exposed to Due South) so when I watch it with my mom she'll always be like, THERE YOU ARE IN 10 YEARS! Especially when Fraser is using his intelligence to annoy Ray!

"Oh Free,To be what I will, Oh Free,I`ll keep it up till,I`m Free,But I wont have nothing at all"

[–] arliss-arbeau 11 years ago

In provinces that have provincial forces the RCMP enforces other Federal laws except the Criminal Code of Canada.

[–] nannyjo 8 years ago

But what are they called? RCuMP Royal Canadian unMounted Police? That just doesn't quite have the same... je ne sais quoi

That's what we need - ridiculous odds, and just a speck of hope that someday, we'll beat it