OklahomaHorses Magazine November 2022

November / December 2022 • OklahomaHorses 11 Oklahoma Mounty Patrolman Rode through Transformation by Lindsay Humphrey | Photos courtesy of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office A rguably one of the oldest mounted patrolmen in the United States, Ed Sain joined the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) Mounted Patrol in 1986. Now 83 years old and recently retired, he spent 36 years riding the streets in and around Oklahoma City. What began literally and figuratively as the show ponies of the police force trans- formed into full-fledged law enforcement. Sain had a front-seat view of all the changes the mounted patrol has experienced in the last 30 years. It started with Sain’s dad, Edwin Sain, who joined the OCSO Mounted Patrol when it was first formed. That was after he had served 30 years in the United States Air Force. Sain followed in his dad’s footsteps almost exactly, first by joining the Air Force and then when he saddled up for the OCSO Mounted Patrol. A True Horseman “My grandparents had a farm south of Duncan, and I can remember riding there a lot,” Sain said. “Do you remem- ber the old hay baler where you brought the hay to the baler? Well, the horse dragged it around, and I remember being on the back of that horse to keep me out of the way.” Sain has been looking for different ways to spend time with and on horses ever since. When asked what he liked best about the mounted patrol, Sain gave a sly smile and the hint of a wink when he said, “No- body pets your car.” The mounted patrolmen provide their own horses and equipment to fulfill their duties. Despite the hefty price tag, that was always Sain’s favorite part of the gig. He bred and raised his fair share of horses for the mounted patrol. He even dabbled in showing halter horses for a while with his bald-faced paint stud, Stylin’ Tradition. At age three, Stylin’ Tradition won the Pinto World, and the next year, he was reserve champion at Paint World. “Ed’s been a major contributor to the OSU Equine Foundation at the OSU Veterinary Medicine Ranch,” said fellow mounted patrolman Johnny Loudermilk. “He donated that stallion to help vet stu- dents learn how to collect from a stud and then breed mares.” Sain explained his support for the pro- gram: “Everybody wants to be a dog or cat doctor, so we’re running out of large-animal veterinarians.” Ed Sain (third from left) spent much of his time with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol interacting with horse enthusiasts of all ages.