What is white, stands at 17 hands, weighs 400 lbs shy of a ton and wears designer shoes? The answer is Bismark, one of three horses that make up the mounted unit of N.C. State’s Campus Police.

Started in 2006 when officer Lillian Moore donated her horse to the program, the most recent additions came from an outside source. The Fayetteville Police Department donated two horses from their disbanded mounted unit, one of which being Bismark and the other his friend Cowboy.

When asked why the department chose the name Bismark, Director of Campus Police Tom Younce laughed a little, said to “wait and see,” and shortly thereafter an imperial white giant trotted through the trees.

According to Younce, Bismark is named after the mammoth World War II battleship USS Bismarck. His dedicated service to the N.C. State community has earned him a badge of his own. He is a good tempered horse, but his size is truly intimidating.

Bismark’s rider, Officer Fitzpatrick, is training him to handle crowds and loud noises, including sirens and helicopter noise. It is important that the horses are accustomed to these sorts of alarming conditions so they do not spook and throw their riders, or kick in a crowd, Fitzpatrick said. While Bismark is quite gentlemanly and calm, he is very energetic.

“He’s a big boy, and the trouble is, he knows it,” Fitzpatrick said.

Bismark’s impressive size can be advantageous though. In a crowd of people, it helps officers see things they wouldn’t be able to if they were on foot. When talking to officers at the station, they said that when doing crowd control at large events, one horse is comparable to ten officers on the ground.

Aside from having a visual advantage, mounted officers are often perceived more approachable than their colleagues on the ground.

“People see an officer on a horse and feel safer,” Director Younce said.

Younce went on to describe how mounted officers are carefully trained and selected to work with the horses. The unit looks for calm horses that can be handled easily and officers who can command them effectively, Younce said. Horses are very perceptive animals that feed off the energy of their riders, so it is also important that they stay relaxed so the horses do not spook.

Most of the mounted unit’s efforts are channeled toward maintaining a presence at large sporting events and special events, but they also patrol campus. Bismark and Cowboy will be present this season at Carter-Finley Stadium, and will be spotted around campus this year with Officer Fitzpatrick and his colleagues.

Fitzpatrick and his team provide all of the care for the animals, which are housed in the Equine Unit at the Veterinary School. A lot of work goes into maintaining the horses and keeping them healthy. The officers normally come in to work around 6 a.m. to prepare the horses for the day’s work. They must muck out stalls, groom the horses, give them shots when necessary and take them out for training, Fitzpatrick said.

Younce said the horses have health insurance and life insurance just like people. In order to keep their feet in tip-top shape, the horses even wear special shoes that make it easier for them to walk on hard surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete.

Students seem to have varying opinions about the benefits of having mounted police on campus.

Courtney Johnson, a senior in graphic design, said she wasn’t sure about the effectiveness of the mounted units. “When they walk by I don’t necessarily feel safer, but I do think, ‘wow, that’s an awesome horse,’” Johnson said.

Lindsey Milem, a senior in fashion and textile management, said she already feels pretty safe on campus, but understands how the horses could be useful to police at larger events.

“I would be terrified to run from horse cops. I mean, what if the horse smashed me?” Milem said.

When Bismark and his companions are not busy keeping the N.C. State community safe, he is on the road promoting safety at elementary and middle schools. He acts as an advocate not only for the police department, but also for the University itself.

After doing crowd control, visiting schools and patrolling campus all day, Bismark rewards himself with a well-deserved roll in the grass at the Equine Unit.