Editing Mounted police (section)

== History ==
The French [[Maréchaussée]]—direct predecessors of the [[French gendarmerie|gendarmerie]] and the first national police force in a modern sense—were a corps of completely mounted constabulary from their establishment in the early 18th century.<ref>M. Petard, "Le cavalier de la maréchaussée", pages 22-27 "Uniformes" nr 85 Album 12</ref> Poor roads and extensive rural areas made horse-mounted police a necessity in European states until the early 20th century.

The establishment of organized law-enforcement bodies throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas during the colonial and post-colonial eras made the concept of predominantly horse-police accepted almost world-wide.<ref>Michael Roth "Mounted Police Forces: a comparative history", pages 707-719 Vol 21 "Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management"</ref> Notable examples include the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]],<ref>{{cite book |first=David |last=Ross |pages=5–6 |title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873-1987 |date=24 March 1988 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-834-X}}</ref> the Mexican [[Rurales]],<ref>{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Abbott |pages=[https://archive.org/details/disorderprogress00vand/page/47 47–48] |title=Disorder and Progress: Bandits, Police and Mexican Development |year=1992 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=0-8420-2439-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/disorderprogress00vand/page/47 }}</ref> the [[Rhodesia]]n [[British South Africa Police]],<ref>{{cite book |first=David |last=Ross |pages=35–36 |title=Modern African Wars (1): Rhodesia |date=15 June 1986 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-728-9}}</ref> the Turkish/Cypriot [[Zapiteh]]<ref>''[[Illustrated London News]]'', June 26, 1897</ref> and the ''caballeria'' (mounted branch) of the [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Spanish Civil Guard]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Jose|last=Bueno|pages=46, 70 & 74|title=La Guardia Civil, su historia, organizacion y sus uniformes|year=1989|publisher=Aldaba Ediciones |isbn=84-86629-34-9}}</ref>