Essex Boy Patrick is a 16.3hh Czech Warmblood gelding who arrived at The Horse Trust’s Home of Rest for Horses at the end of October 2012.

 He is only 12 years old but has been retired from the Essex Police Mounted Section due to arthritis and intermittent lameness in his back legs. 

Essex Boy Patrick arriving at the Horse Trust

  Patrick started to become unpredictable on patrol and sometimes nearly fell down and had to retire from duties.

   He is one of the last Essex Police Horses as the Mounted Section has recently been disbanded.

Patrick, our Essex Boy Police Horse

 

  Most of Patrick’s fellow police horses will be rehomed to other Police Forces or private homes across the UK. But our Essex Boy can no longer be ridden and was sent to The Horse Trust, where he will spend the rest of his days at our Home of Rest for Horses in Buckinghamshire. 

   The Horse Trust is the oldest horse charity in the world and provides a dignified retirement for working horses like Patrick who have served their county or community.

  He had a varied career, performing all aspects of police work, at the Olympics, football matches, demonstrations, the Southend Air Show and the V Festival as well as attending local community events and school visits as as part of his public duties.

Patrick at work with the Essex Police
 
 
 

 

   We are unique in our commitment to care for the animals who have dedicated their lives to protecting communities from violence and unrest in the service of the Mounted Police across the UK.

 At The Horse Trust, Patrick’s retirement is rather more sedate. He is enjoying his new life of leisure and has been prancing about his new field showing off how handsome he is, like a 6 year old dressage champion.

 Some of the officers who knew him at Essex Police suspect he put on a limp to get out of working.

  

  Someone suggested our new Essex boy should be nicknamed Rylan, that idea was banned by his former rider, besides Patrick has a big secret...

His real name is SHARON.

 Sharon you see is a boy’s name in Patrick’s homeland of the Czech Republic. And we think it suits our gorgeous Essex boy down to the ground. 

It costs £12 per day to care for each of the 100 horses at The Horse Trust. And we operate entirely on public donations. We need to raise £4,380 per year to provide this lovely lad with the retirement he deserves.

  We are asking the good folk of Essex to make a small contribution towards providing a long and peaceful retirement for one of the county's finest.

 If you can, please make a donation today. 

 It's also worth reading some of the hearfelt messages of support for the amazing job Police horses do for us, from people all around the country. You can read them in the pledge book. 

Whatever you do, don't forget "Patrick". Come and visit our Essex Boy at The Home of Rest for Horses when we re-open to visitors in the Spring.

 

Read about the other residents at our home for retired horses.

 

Police Horses
Pledge Book

Read messages

It's soooo good to be here. My legs feel better already.

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