State police looking for a few good horses

Pennsylvania State Police are asking for the public’s help in an unusual way: They need horses.

The department relies on donations to fill its mounted patrol of 28 horses housed at its training academy in Hershey, which perform tasks statewide from searches and crowd control to parades and demonstrations.

They’re not short on horses now, but their handlers can tell when enough are ready to retire and police should get the ball rolling on new recruits to keep the pipeline full, spokesperson Ryan Tarkowski said.

“The animals kind of let us know when it’s time for them to retire,” he said. “They can kind of see the writing on the wall for some of them.”

While there’s no specific retirement age for police horses, police requested that any donated horses be between the ages of 5 and 15, and stand between 16 hands (5 feet, 4 inches at the shoulder) and 18 hands tall. They also prefer draft or draft-crosses over thoroughbreds or other “hot blood” breeds.

The job description also calls for quiet, calm dispositions, without tendencies toward bad behavior in the stable.

Horses donated to state police will enter a 120-day trial period to determine their suitability, during which they’ll receive a veterinary examination.

Troopers have received 12 donated horses since 2015, nine of which have completed the trial period. Donors are typically horse owners who are feeling the financial strain, or simply think their horse would like the job.

Those original owners get the first offer to take their horses back when they retire. If they don’t, the police find them a home.

“It’s never too hard to find a good home for a horse,” Tarkowski said.

To arrange a donation or for more information, contact Sergeant Carrie A. Neidigh at 717-533-3463 or cneidigh@ pa.gov.

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