The Horse Trust

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.

There is no better example of the bravery and strength of these animals and their mounts than the recent riots in London. The Mounted Branches worked tirelessly and heroically throughout the night across the country to restore order, dodging missiles and burning buildings as they fought to control the chaos.

Police horses are the first on the front line in times of conflict, often risking serious injury to carry out their duties protecting the public. The physical and mental effort required by both horse and rider cannot be underestimated. It is asserted that, in several situations, one police horse can do the job of 12 police officers on the ground because of their physical mass and height advantage. Given this, it is difficult to imagine where we would be without these hardworking and fearless creatures.

Police horses are funded by the taxpayer throughout their working career but the “public purse” empties as the horses face retirement. These horses have usually worked so hard during their lives that they cannot be re-homed, due to varying degrees of lameness, and there are few places that they can retire to with dignity and grace.