CALDWELL, Idaho — Nearly three years after it was formed in 2023, the Caldwell Police Department mounted horse unit is mourning its first loss while continuing to grow its presence in the community — and inspire other agencies to follow suit.
WATCH: Learn about Drago's life and the mission of the CPMU
Drago, one of the original horses in the department's mounted patrol program, died at 23½ years old after suffering what Chief Rex Ingram described as a possible neurological event.
Jan Gibson, president of the Caldwell Police Mounted Unit Foundation, said Drago embodied what a police mount should be.
"If I could ever have in the 28 years that I've been involved, 30 years almost, the perfect police mount, it was Drago," Gibson said. "He did his job with dedication, integrity. He took care of everybody that rode him, the chief and Drago were inseparable."
Gibson said the barn was unusually quiet during the final days of Drago's life — a stillness that lasted nearly three days.
When Ingram arrived to see him for the last time, he said the silence stood out.
Drago had struggled physically in his final days, but as he was led out of the barn one last time, Ingram said the horse made a final call that echoed through the stalls.
"And before we put him in the trailer, he was so loud and let out this large neigh, and this barn in here, including this guy, and that horse over there erupted, and they started talking back and forth," Ingram said.
Drago had been treated for the past three years at Idaho Equine and was later buried at Rocky Mountain Pet Burial in Parma.
The mounted unit was launched in 2023 as part of a community policing effort aimed at building trust and increasing positive interactions between officers and residents. Ingram privately purchased Drago to help start the program, partnering with another officer who also contributed a horse.
Since then, the unit has grown to include four draft-cross horses and a nonprofit foundation that accepts donations of horses, tack, hay, veterinary services and other equipment.
Lt. Scott Cruppers said the growth has been steady, with more interest within the department.
"We started out, in a place just a few years ago with just a few horses. We have some more horses and many officers that are interested in serving this way," Cruppers said.
Mounted officers undergo extensive training, including desensitizing horses to loud noises, crowds, traffic and sudden movements. Officers must be able to perform standard law enforcement duties — including detentions and arrests — from horseback.
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Supporters say the horses often create opportunities for positive engagement. Children and families frequently approach officers at events to pet the horses, creating conversations that might not otherwise happen.
Gibson said community support has been overwhelming.
"We put out a plea for having some tack donated to help our officers and horses get started with the right equipment, and the outpour was just amazing," Gibson said.
As Caldwell's program has gained visibility, other agencies have taken notice. Ingram said departments in the Treasure Valley, including the Meridian Police Department, are actively working toward establishing their own mounted units. Valley County officials have also expressed interest in expanding mounted patrols in McCall.
Ingram said the unit's approach demonstrates that mounted patrols can serve as both a crime prevention tool and a bridge between officers and the public.
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As the unit has grown, so have questions about funding and the use of taxpayer dollars. Ingram said confusion often stems from conflating the mounted unit with the independent foundation.
WATCH: Listen to Chief setting the record straight on taxpayer use
"The foundation is a receptacle to receive donations, to receive equipment, to receive hay, to receive services, to fund our mounted unit to deploy in the street to work on duty," Ingram said. "We pay our employees under federal law ... They have to be paid to work. So yes, taxpayer dollars are being used to fund our police officers on duty in uniform to deploy horses."
The unit approaches its third anniversary, and leaders say Drago's legacy will remain central to its mission.
"He is the standard that we want moving forward, and we will get there, but he will be a hard one to replace," Gibson said.
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