Dennis Maisano’s day started 3 a.m. one recent Wednesday.

After sipping coffee, the 57-year-old police sergeant went outside to feed his horse, Frosty. After waiting an hour for Frosty to finish his alfalfa cubes, Maisano loaded him up in a trailer and hauled it with his Chevy pickup about 30 miles to Santa Ana from Norco for a 7 a.m. training.

Maisano and other mounted unit officers from across Orange County spent the day at Santiago Park honing their riding skills under the glaring sun.

The early morning schedule didn’t bother Maisano at all.

“Some people think it’s crazy, but we do it for the love of the horses,” he said.

After two years of planning, Maisano and fellow sergeant Mike Meyers launched the Irvine Police Department’s first-ever mounted unit, which will make its debut Tuesday, Aug. 1 at the city’s National Night Out, a nation-wide event to promote police programs.

The unit is expected to patrol open space that’s difficult for vehicles to get around, as well as the developing Orange County Great Park and city-sponsored events. The height of the horse gives officers a vantage point to monitor the crowd or wilderness areas.

Sergeants Mike Meyers, right, and Dennis Maisano, left center, both of the Irvine Police Department, use their horses to break up an argument between a group along a trail in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, of the Irvine Police Department, gets his horse, Frosty, to maneuver a large ball as Sgt. Mike Meyers on Captain, looks on during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sound The gallery will resume in seconds

Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, of the Irvine Police Department and his horse Frosty, and Irvine Sgt. Mike Meyers, right, on Captain, listen to instructions during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Mike Meyers of the Irvine Police Department sits on his horse during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Mike Meyers of the Irvine Police Department, uses a “baton” on an “unruly” individual, protected with a padded suit, while on his horse Captain in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)



Sergeants Dennis Maisano and Mike Meyers, right, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses along a trail during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, and Sgt. Mike Meyers, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses through a wall of tape during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Mike Meyers, right, and Dennis Maisano, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses along a trail during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Mike Meyers, left, and Dennis Maisano, right, both of the Irvine Police Department, approach two men along a trail in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, of the Irvine Police Department and his horse Frosty, make their way over an obstacle as Sgt. Mike Meyers on Captain waits his turn during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)



Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, watches as Sgt. Mike Meyers, both of the Irvine Police Department, gets his horse, Captain, to maneuver a large ball horses through a short maze during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Dennis Maisano, left, of the Irvine Police Department, attempts to get his horse, Frosty, to cross a water obstacle, as Sgt. Mike Meyers on Captain, right, looks on during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Mike Meyers and Dennis Maisano both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, as they approach two “suspects” during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Dennis Maisano, left, and Mike Meyers, right, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses along a trail during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Mike Meyers, left, and Dennis Maisano, right, both of the Irvine Police Department, question two men along a trail in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)



Sergeants Dennis Maisano and Mike Meyers, right, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses along a trail during a day of training along with other agencies at Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Dennis Maisano and Mike Meyers, right, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses across a bridge in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, as they approach two “suspects” during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeants Dennis Maisano, left, and Mike Meyers, right, both of the Irvine Police Department ride their horses along a trail in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, as they approach two “suspects” during a roll playing scenario as part of a day of training with their horses along with other agencies. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

Sergeant Dennis Maisano of the Irvine Police Department feeds his horse, Frosty, following a morning of training with other horses from various police agencies in Santiago Park in Santa Ana on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The department’s mounted unit will be ready for duty and make their debut on August 1st at Irvine’s National Night Out event at Cypress Village Community Park. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,The Orange County Register)

The two veteran officers ride their own horses, keep them on their own properties and also pay out of their own pockets for the animals’ food, care and transportation. They even bought new homes to adopt an equestrian lifestyle.

“Once you bond with a horse, and learn more about horses and how they operate, and get up on trails and work with other people on horses, it’s like no other; you feel free,” Meyers, 49, said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

How it began

The idea of starting a mounted unit in Irvine struck patrol sergeant Maisano three years ago when he and his family were living in a planned community in Chino.

Having seen officers interact with horses in other cities, Maisano first discussed the idea with his wife, Misty, who immediately gave her support.

Maisano decided to get a horse and find a new home so he could keep the animal on the property.

Within two weeks, the Maisanos put their home up for sale, even before they’d found a new place, and with no guarantee there would be a mounted unit in Irvine. They eventually bought a 1-acre property in Norco, which calls itself “Horsetown USA” and has horse trails instead of sidewalks.

The new home had beautiful landscaping in the backyard, but they tore up half of it to build a corral and stalls.

“Our desire to have a horse and start a mounted unit and our love for animals, that’s how it came to be,” Maisano said.

Soon after moving, Maisano invited Meyers to his new house. He knew Meyers’ daughter competes in horse jumping and trains in Norco. Meyers himself used to ride as a child as well.

Maisano showed Meyers the new property, told him about the mounted unit plan and asked him to join.

Meyers said he had been thinking about what he could do to help his daughter, Jenna, who has been riding horses since 5 years old.

“To me, it was like a huge light bulb went off in my head,” Meyers said. “It totally made sense to me.”

Six months later, Meyers and his family bought a 1-acre home and also moved to Norco. His wife initially wasn’t excited about selling their recently remodeled house in Corona, Meyers said, but she quickly changed her mind when she saw the property her husband and daughter had chosen.

Getting ready

Maisano and Meyers presented the mounted unit idea to the department leadership, who encouraged them to pursue it.

The duo began talking to mounted unit officers at other agencies to research what they needed to do to make their dream come true.

Maisano bought Frosty — who used to plow farmland but was headed to a slaughterhouse — from a Pennsylvania horse rescue for $4,000. Meyers rides his daughter’s horse, Captain.

They trained their horses specifically for mounted unit tasks. Mounted units often patrol at big events with a huge crowd so the horses must be desensitized to noise and people touching them.

“The horse’s got to trust you,” Meyers said.

To build such trust and keep their horses in shape, Maisano and Meyers ride them at least a few times a week. The officers and their families pick up manure and groom them every day. Keeping horses at home helps create a bond that is hard to do when you are boarding them, the officers say.

Their dedication paid off in June, when the Irvine City Council approved the police department’s request to establish the mounted unit as part of the 2017-18 budget.

Bond with the community

Irvine — the largest city in Orange County in terms of area — has about 12,000 acres of open space preserve, where police staff currently patrol on bicycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles.

If a hiker gets injured in a wilderness area, horses can get to the scene more quickly than on foot or bike, while carrying water and first aid supplies, according to a city staff report.

The unit will also come in handy for the police when they want to control the crowd at events, officials say.

In the next few years, a 194-acre sports park, nature trails, an ice complex and a water park are expected to open at the Great Park, as well as an interim amphitheater nearby.

But the unit’s key responsibility is to help the Irvine police build close ties with residents.

“I think this is going to be another way to connect with the community because everyone loves horses,” Irvine police Chief Mike Hamel said.

Meyers also points out Irvine’s past as a ranch.

“It’s like going back to the heritage of the city,” he said.

For the love of the horses

The unit’s start-up cost is estimated at $25,143 for equipment and training. That takes into account two additional members the unit is currently recruiting within the department.

The horses will be owned and cared for by officers in the unit. The city of Huntington Beach owns and maintains its own horses, but Irvine staff recommended against the option because it would be more costly as the city would have to provide land to stable the horses and staff to care for them.

Although the city will bear the costs for veterinary care, individual officers will pay for grooming, feeding, boarding and transportation of the horses. For example, Maisano feeds Frosty about 15 pounds of food each day plus 10 to 15 gallons of water. That costs him about $200 a month, he said.

The mounted unit is a collateral assignment, which means Maisano and Meyers will still have responsibilities as patrol sergeants.

Maisano now has three chickens, two goats, a miniature pig and three dogs on his property. When his grandchildren visit him, the first thing they want to do is saddle up Frosty so that they can ride on a trail in front of the house.

“It’s amazing to get up in the morning and hear my horse call for me when I get ready to feed him,” he said. “I can go out in the morning and have coffee with him. I feed my horse, I feed my goats and I feed my chickens. That’s my routine in the morning. It’s almost like a stress reliever.”

“We made the right decision,” he said.

Irvine National Night Out

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1

Where: Cypress Village Community Park, Adventure Playground at University Community Park and The Ranch Neighborhood Park. The mounted unit will be at Cypress Village.t

Cost: Free

Details: goo.gl/Adur4p