Meet Trooper - one of the UK's largest police horses!
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Meet one of the UK's largest police horses, Trooper.
Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) newest recruit is the largest horse to join the police's Tactical Mounted Unit in its 50 year history.
The 10-year-old is 18.2 hands from the ground to his shoulders, which is the technical way horses are measured. That is about 1.85 metres or more than 6ft tall.
Trooper is a shire horse - a type of breed known for their strength and great size.
But it's not just his size that has shocked the team - Trooper trumps like a champion too!
Police horses often work at big events like football and music concerts
Trooper used to be called Joey but has been renamed due to a tradition of all GMP horses being named after characters in Charles Dickens novels.
He's so big that a lot of the riding equipment had to be made bigger to fit his enormous head and body.
"Everything size-wise, even the bridle, rugs, stable, has all got to be enlarged, just to accommodate his comfort," Trooper's trainer, Alistair Hunstone said.
As for his, erm, windiness - it has taken his human colleagues by surprise.
"When you are riding along, it's like you have jet propulsion." said Alistair. "He is a big horse and he eats a lot of food. Obviously it's better out than in."
• It's a specialist team made up of police officers, horses, grooms and trainers.
• It targets crime hotspots and helps with crowd control at busy public events like football matches and demonstrations.
• Horses are also used to help police search areas that are difficult for cars to reach when looking for missing or wanted people.
Trooper has been with the force for about six weeks and has a long way to go before he is ready to become a full member of the specialist police team.
It can take up to two years before a horse is fully trained.
"It's a matter of now getting him out more on the roads, to football grounds, meeting crowds of people and assessing how he responds to us," Alistair said.
GMP said Trooper's size (or smell) shouldn't put people off coming to say hello if they see him out and about. It said he was a "gentle giant", who "adores attention from people".
- Published15 June 2021
