Charlotte Horse Stables

[monsoon]

Apparently the CPD wants to put police officers onto horses to patrol downtown Charlotte in order to combat the terrible crime problem that is plaguing the city. It is their feeling that mounted policemen will help to subdue disorderly thugs and criminals. This issue with this of course is where to put the horses? They can't be more than a short horse ride away from the patrol areas. so somewhere there will need to be a stable in or near downtown Charlotte. It has to be a place where horses can be fed, bedded, and of course a place that will involve lots of horse "waste". I know where the one is in downtown Charleston where the horses live that pull the carriages around that city, and it really isn't that pleasant a place to be.

So the question is, where to put the Charlotte horse stables?

[49er]

Raleigh has a small stable on Moore Square where the horses hung out while not on duty. They were trailered in from somewhere in the country and this was a holding spot. Community wise, it was really cool. People would stop by sometimes to let their kids pet a horse or feed it a carrot if it was sticking its head out the stable door. It was really a non issue in my opinion.

[appatone]

They'll probably be kept at Latta Plantation.

[voyager12]

There were horse patrols when I lived in Charleston and it did help to deter crime. I love horses but it can be very intimidating to face one down.. or nose one down which I guess is the point after all. I would be hard pressed to think of a place around Uptown to house them. Maybe they can incorporate a stable into the new park being planned for the land swap.

[monsoon]

They'll probably be kept at Latta Plantation.

[revitalize]

what about in some of the cloverleaf intersections near 277? Maybe they can cut a deal with the state for some of this land. or would the traffic scare the horses?

[appatone]

There is no way they will keep horses way out there. It's too far away.

[rockhilljames]

I'd say on the northern side of downtown, on the other side of 277 they could probably find some land. I know the bus maintance facility is up that way, maybe they could make room for horses right around there.

On the other hand, Levine has prime grazing land downtown that he's not doing anything with.

[monsoon]

I heard some speculation they might consider putting them in the Greenville neighborhood.

[cinco]

I heard some speculation they might consider putting them in the Greenville neighborhood.

[voyager12]

I lived next to Lawton Stables in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head growing up. I loved it, a bunch of us would go after school and feed them sugar cubes and carrots! The only downside being that if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction but that's nature for you and it did not bother us all that much.

[dubone]

I think it would be great to put the stables in Historic Fourth Ward. They could, for example, build a livery stable using the design of an old stable that might have existed in Charlotte a hundred years ago. One place, just as example, might be the large section of wasted land on the NE corner of Graham and 10th, which is inside the arc of the Graham street exit from Brookshire.

As for smell, I'm sure modern technology could allow the methane gas to be captured, and possibly be burned onsite as part of the heating or generating onsite electricity for the facility. It could be a welcomed part of the neighborhood that is consistent with the Victorian roots of the neighborhood, and could be made a little spot to visit when touring uptown Charlotte.

We are probably only talking about a dozen or two horses.

By the way I LOVE the idea of horse mounted police uptown. Not only do they give horses jobs (I believe horses, like dogs, like having a higher purpose), but they intimidate bad guys, and make good guys feel safer.

[49er]

i'll take the smell of stables over exhaust fumes from the all the buses downtown anyday. i'm really liking the idea of a historically designed stable. We need more parks before implementing this though. parks give police a place to walk the horses away from the hustle and bustle of the streets for small breaks.

[turbocraig]

There's a perfect plot of land on Smith St behind where Citidin is going and the RR tracks. I guess it's remained undeveloped because nobody wants to live right on the tracks, but the horses probably wouldn't care.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Give them some hogs, big Harley-Davidson hogs. Just feed them gas, no hay or stables. Horses are not cheap to keep, and give out on long chases.

[lptk]

I suppose 239 E Trade is out of the question?

[uptownliving]

I suppose 239 E Trade is out of the question?

[revitalize]

Give them some hogs, big Harley-Davidson hogs. Just feed them gas, no hay or stables. Horses are not cheap to keep, and give out on long chases.

[Justadude]

I really like the idea of a (limited) mounted police force. Like the bike cops, they can patrol park and plaza areas where a squad car would seem authoritarian. They're extremely tourist- and kid-friendly, and are generally well-liked by the 2 am crowd (aka young drunks). And they are quite effective at close range; I've seen 'em in action in New Orleans and London, and believe me you DON'T want to be the "bad guy" when a mounted patrol shows up.