SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Savannah Police Department (SPD) added a new member to its team in the form of a Clydesdale for its Mounted Patrol, it announced Thursday in a social media post.

SPD posted on X that 7-year-old Otto joined the unit after training in advanced techniques for eight months at Mounted Patrol International in Austin, Texas.

Mounted Patrol dates all the way back to 1796 in Savannah but was reestablished in 1989 and has been used since.

It allows SPD advantages in patrolling such as operating in areas difficult to reach by vehicle and allows officers to gain a better view when elevated above crowds.

The unit currently consists of six riders and eight horses, and they live, sleep and train in stables off Dean Forest Road.