NYPD Mounted Unit Farriers

No hoof, no horse. As equestrians, we know that mantra well. (Hence our reverence for a good farrier.) The NYPD Mounted Unit, which rides primarily over concrete and asphalt "footing," needs a constant stream of quality shoeing and hoof care, and they get it from dedicated, mobile farriers on staff. A recent spate of news profiles on the subject offered a look by the numbers--

1858:     Year the NYPD Mounted Unit was established
50+:       Horses in the NYPD's string
100+:     Mounted patrol officers on staff
4:           Facilities to house police horses
3:           Farriers on the NYPD's team
2000:     Typical weight of a police horse, in pounds
4:           Number of hooves per horse (um...really?)
3 to 5:   Weeks, on average, between shoeings

See more cool pics of the "elite blacksmith unit" at work on our city's streets, or watch the recent feature about these horse hoof heroes from WABC. Thanks for your service, fellas!