Raleigh retires on apples and sugar cubes
Raleigh has turned 23 this year and will be retiring this year from his career as a police horse to his future retirement home at a countryside Sevenoaks farm in Kent.
Raleigh is the longest serving police horse in the country for the London Metropolitan, one of the few police quarters that still employs over 148 mounted policemen.
However, although some may see this as a sad day for Raleigh ending his career that has lasted two decades, the police horse is set to join his lifelong best friend Hector who retired to the easy stable life six years ago.
Raleigh’s own career has spanned twenty years and apart from patrolling the beat, he’s seen active service from riots to football matches. He also played a vital role in the Changing of the Guard and the Trooping of the Colour where, decked out in all his horse finery with well groomed mane and tail, he’s marched before royalty.
Raleigh’s rider, PC Bill Hunsome from the Metropolitan Police’s Mounted Branch explained that despite the horse veteran age, he still thought he was 13 rather than 23. “Raleigh is still in great shape and it’s amazing to see him with so much vigour for life left”
Raleigh’s career has been exceptionally long, bearing in mind that the average police horse has a career of around 15 years and often spend their lives in the police force once they reach the age of 5 or 6.
Raleigh who has always enjoyed coaxing the public to feed him the odd treat, will of course be lavishing the same attention with the plentiful supply of sugar cubes or apples from his doting admirers at his new home.
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July 24th 2009