Founded in September 1825, the Mounted Police were recruited from a British military regiment stationed in NSW at the time to protect travellers and suppress convict escapees. For over a century they were a key part of policing as horses were the main form of transport.

Duties include traffic and crowd management, patrols, and ceremonial protocol duties.

The 34 horses used today are bay geldings, 16 hands high and include a number of ex-race horses. They are between three and seven years old when received and retire at about 20 years of age.