Police Horses

Parker79

Parker79

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2011
Messages
1,169
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Rather daft question! I know most forces are cutting back on horses....but are the ones that they keep living a fabulous life? or is it a myth that they are looked after so well?

I would genuinely like to hear about whether they live a good life?
 
Yes, they live an excellent life and are extreamy well looked after and want for nothing. I've visited several times (my other half is a cop and knows the officers in the mounted section) and was really impressed. :)
 
I worked at a Police Station in London for three years, where there were stables behind the station. In fact they weren't stables, they were stalls. Although the horses always looked in excellent condition, I don't agree with horses living in stalls 24/7 (apart from exercise) and only having a two week holiday per year in a field. They were just conditioned to that life.
 
My friend is a police officer and she re-homed a retired police horse, he lived out his days hacking and being fussed over, a great big soppy thing, he is now buried in her garden in the beautiful Cornish countryside :)

I re-homed a much younger police horse that had literally had been put through it's training and then they had trouble with her back and decided she was unable to be ridden. So she arrived with the intention of her being a broodmare. Well, she wasn't good enough to be a broodmare, so I had my physio take a look at her, and with a fair amount of treatment I started riding her. Long story short I took her hunting and eventing, she was fab, and when I thought she might like a bit of a quieter life I contacted the Met again, to see if they knew of a more suitable home.

Well, blow me they took her back into police horse training, unfortunately after being in Cornwall she was no longer traffic proof with the buses etc :eek: did make me giggle.

I personally think they live a very hard, albeit want for nothing, life :( The older horses that come out of service generally have quite a few issue's. Not exactly a natural environment conducive to a healthy life, however the work they do is amazing.
 
I've been lucky enough to visit the main training stables in London. The horses are all in amazing condition and every need is catered for and more. They were all happy, alert and in great condition!
 
I volunteered at a mounted branch for a short time.

Simply the highest standards in all aspects that I've ever come across.

Horses live in 5* conditions, all kit is top of the range as are the facilities.

Horses are happy, healthy and in a day to day routine.

Visit your nearest branch :) they welcome the public.
 
Thank you everyone! I did wonder about turnout. I have a youngster and I keep being told to contact the police force to see if they are interested in him. It started out just a passing comment but its now been mentioned by a handful of people due to his size, temperament and the amount of desensitising he has had. I don't even know if they would be interested but as it remains in the back of my mind I was curious. He is being backed in the spring so if I planned to contact them it would have to be soon.

I am not sure I like the idea of him in that enviroment, it was just a thought and I was genuinely curious as I was always given the impression they lead an amazing life :)
 
milesjess said:
I volunteered at a mounted branch for a short time.

Simply the highest standards in all aspects that I've ever come across.

Horses live in 5* conditions, all kit is top of the range as are the facilities.

Horses are happy, healthy and in a day to day routine.

Visit your nearest branch :) they welcome the public.
Click to expand...

Really! brill, I may well do that :)
 
I'm not in the UK, but our mounted police horses here are simply a credit to their riders/grooms. You will not see better cared for horses. They may not get turned out every day, but they get far MORE excercise than the average leisure horse (out at least twice a day for mostly walking excercise, plus schooling), no stable vices that I have ever seen and always look a picture. I'd be more than happy for any of mine to have a career in the force.
 
where do they sell there horses. i would be interested in one, for hacking. i would spoil it rotten. i have a few but always wondered where they sold them to or do they just retire them.
would love to rehome one, always have.
I also think they are well looked after, but would love to semi retire one. light hacking.
 
Last edited:
They are looked after in terms of being groomed and fed etc although they don't get out in fields much and quite a few of them are on bute to keep them going. Only talking about one particularly force, can't comment for all of them.
 
The local WHW inspector pops in for a natter occasionally. He is a very interesting man who was invalided out of the mounted police. It amused me to hear that if they were bitten or kicked by a horse, they'd be on a charge -- for not recognising the warning signs! Yes, I'd say the horses are well looked after -- and very much loved too.
 
Our gelding went on a trial period to the Mounted Police in Manchester, he is a big chunky 16.2 IDx with a calm steady temperment who is bombproof in traffic, would have been a perfect police horse.

Was extremely impressed with the care, facilities, kit, training etc & if he passed his trial would have stayed there.

I am glad he isnhome though :-)
 
One of ours is with south Yorkshire police and jhas been for the last few years, we get updates and photos of him from time to time and he seems to be thriving. My friends a paramedic and she sees him most weeks at football matches or the races and she says he always looks so well and chilled out
 
Sky - I know most forces retire them to WHW. They don't sell them on, they'll remain in the care of WHW but I think some do end up in loan homes.

Grooms, internal police staff sometimes get the opportunity to rehome them.

That's the forces I know of, can't speak for them all but I'd imagine it's a similar set up.

Sadly a few of them do retire with problems due to the amount of road work they do.
 
i have visited manchester, the facilities are great, although they do still have about 8 stalls the rest are now stables and so they take it in turn to go into the stalls. there is a small paddock and all get a chance to go in there occasionally. They are well looked after and most looked very happy to be in - there was a few that were grumpy - but thats horses!! some are like that!
 
I think it will depend on individual forces, the Strathclye police recently bought a farm for theirs, so I assume they get regular turnout. My main issue is with the shoeing, they do a lot of road work and are shod all the time, so a lot get arthritis etc. They are doing a lot of work compared to the average horse, so one would expect them to retire relatively young.
There are forces in the US who have barefoot horses, maybe one day we will see this over here. It would make them safer when they are asked to charge towards a load of rowdies, reduce concussion, and save money.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top