Theyre basically celebrities - the horses with the Louisville Metro Police Department Mounted Patrol."We want people to take pictures, to pet them," said division leader Sgt Brandon Savage.The unit consists of three officers and one part-time officer, according to Savage. He says they go out on patrol around Louisville three times a week.Their goal is to deter crime and engage the community. They can even make arrests from horseback."We can see across those crowds, we can see across the tailgate parties, said Savage, People can see us coming from a long distance, they can correct themselves, and we don't have to take any action."Savage has been with the department for 20 years. He tells LEX 18 that mounted patrol is his favorite assignment."Getting paid to ride a horse and make people smile, they want to see you, they're happy, it's a different type of policing than I've done in the past, where you see people on their worst, said Savage. Here, hopefully by the time we are done talking to them, they pet the horse, and it'll make their day better."Savage has been to five Derbys now on horseback. He said its an unforgettable experience."We're on the back of a horse on the rail at the Churchill Downs watching the Kentucky Derby from the back of a horse, I still get goosebumps when you see the horses coming around, you hear the crowd getting louder and louder, said Savage. It's a pretty special thing that very few people get to do, especially on horseback.Savage said if you ever see his mounted patrol officers, ask to touch the horse beforehand. He said they always welcome pictures. ...read more read less