(CNN) Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke rode a horse alongside US Park Police officers in Washington on Thursday.
The former Montana congressman was then welcomed by his new employees at the Department of the Interior.
"Secretary Zinke was proud to accept an invitation by the US Park Police to stand shoulder to shoulder with their officers on his first day at Interior -- the eve of the Department's anniversary," said Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the department. "As a Montanan, the new secretary is excited to highlight the Department's rich and diverse cultural heritage as he gets to work advancing the Department's mission."
This story has been updated.