FOLEY, Ala. — Six members of Foley Police Department’s Mounted Cadets program recently made a trip to New Mexico and experienced some of the natural wonders of that state from — what else? — horseback.

The Cadets’ trip took place May 29 through June 4, according to Lt. Charles Massey of FPD, who heads up the Mounted Cadets program.

“It was a blast — we had a good time,” Massey said.

The Cadets rode, backpacked and camped in Santa Fe National Forest in Pecos. Among other things, a couple of the Cadets who had never seen snow before got to see it in a big way.

“Here we were riding in four and five foot drifts for up to a hundred meters,” Massey said.

The six Cadets who made the trip were Amber Callaway, Britney Vautrin, Alex Manning, Kristian Massey, Tommie Perdue and Britney Cook. They, along with two others who were unable to make the trip, constitute the Mounted Cadets’ inaugural group at FPD.

The Mounted Cadets are part of the longstanding Explorer program at FPD. To be a part of the Mounted Cadets, Massey said a candidate must be at least in the ninth grade and join the Explorer program. A candidate should have an interest in horses and, should he or she not be an accomplished rider, will be taught to ride by members of FPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit.

The Mounted Cadets actually go on patrol with the Mounted Patrol Unit and help work sporting events with the officers. To join the Mounted Cadets program a candidate does not have to own a horse, but some do, Massey said.

A candidate is expected to exhibit a good attitude and show community spirit, according to Massey.

“This group began with varying degrees of riding skill … all the way from none to champion barrel racers,” Massey said.

The New Mexico trip included everything from shopping and visiting sites in Santa Fe to riding a few hundred feet below the timberline in the mountains. The Cadets also visited perhaps the oldest continually inhabited pueblo in the country.

One other thing that Massey expects members of the Mounted Cadets to exhibit is an appreciation of community support. The Cadets have conducted fundraisers for the program, and Massey said one of the group’s biggest supporters has been Lee Mansell, principal at Foley Intermediate School. When the school year opens, Massey said the Cadets will be presenting a check to the principal from the money the Cadets have earned. The check will be a token of thanks to the principal and school and a lesson to Cadets not to overlook the importance of community support, Massey said.