The City of Cape Town’s Metro Police Department has taken delivery of seven new horses that will serve on the Equestrian Unit.

The new recruits will have some big hooves to fill following the retirement of five equestrian officers at the end of May.

The retirees were handed over to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA who found them a home in Kalbaskraal near Malmesbury. They were all transported to their new home earlier this week.

For the new recruits, it will be a few months of ‘saddling in’ as they acclimatise to their new environment, undergo all their health checks and vaccinations, and complete their basic training under the stewardship of Aldo, the one remaining equestrian officer who did not retire.

Tina, Meneer, Carina, Tokolosh, Elzaan, Karen and Falconett are all friesian horses and hail from Stormsvlei between Riviersonderend and Swellendam. They are between three and five years old.

‘We look forward to many years of dedicated service from these new recruits. Our Service Animals Unit is an extremely important cog in the big enforcement wheel and offers a layer of policing that cannot be done by our human officers. The change of guard in our Equestrian Unit has also presented an important opportunity for a closer relationship between the City and the animal welfare sector. The SPCA helped us find homes for our retirees and we would advocate that this be the standard operating procedure going forward, certainly for the City of Cape Town. We hope other metros with Service Animals Units will follow suit,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

Take a look at the new recruits shortly after arriving at their new home.