Ready for retirement: RCMP Musical Ride horses seek greener pasture

They've dazzled audiences and performed all over with the Musical Ride but for the first time, the RCMP is hoping Canadians can help their jet black horses enjoy retirement.

The RCMP Musical Ride routinely retires horses due to age or medical reasons but until this year, the RCMP's Divestment of Horses Program was only open to charities, non-profit organizations or other levels of government.

The Musical Ride has a separate program that auctions off horses – who don't meet the Breeding Program's requirements either due to their size, temperament or colouring – to members of the public.

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"This is super exciting for us," RCMP Riding Master Sgt. Maj. Scott Williamson said. "For us, it's all about the horse and ensuring that the horse gets what is best suited for it, and this is what we believe would be best suited for many of the horses."

The RCMP says it is looking for people who have the space, finances and equestrian background necessary to care for a horse, especially one who may be older or has medical needs. In most cases the RCMP says the Hanoverians being retired are no longer able to ride.

"A home that's full of love," says Williamson when asked what his ideal candidate can provide. "A home that is going to be there for that horse and care for (it), give it everything that it needs, because that is what we've done with the horses and that's what we expect will be done."

The response to the request for applications has been far beyond what the RCMP says it ever expected. In less than 24 hours, the program received about 1,600 applications.

At any given time, the Musical Ride has about 140 horses in its programs.

"It completely took us off guard. We were not prepared for that," Williamson said. "But that in itself is super exciting because that tells me that there's going to be somebody in there that is going to be very well suited for one of these horses and it tells me how excited Canadians are to receive one of our horses."

Grace McDuffe from Port Dover, Ont., is hoping she's one of the lucky few selected. A lifelong horse lover and coach, McDuffe also knows what it's like to own and love an RCMP horse. Her beloved Bronx, who was bred by the RCMP and initially sold as a three year old, died this summer at age 19.

"He was really special, almost like a person," McDuffe said. "He just seemed to get it and that's what they breed for and look for in an animal."

McDuffe purchased Bronx when he was 17 and says she knows what it takes mentally, physically and financially to support an older horse or one with medical needs. She's hoping to honour Bronx by bringing home one of his siblings.

"We know the costs involved can be great," she said. "But they really are priceless, older horses. They come with so much wisdom and knowledge and history that we found it really enriching to have them."

Applications for the RCMP's Divestment of Horses Program have temporarily closed. The RCMP says all applications will be thoroughly vetted and those that meet the requirements will be kept on file for when a new horse enters retirement.

"This is going to ebb and flow," Williamson said. "There's going to be times and years I'd say that where you might not have any horses available. There might be other years where multiple horses will be available."

Right now, the RCMP says it is strongly considering one horse for retirement, with a few more likely ready to go later this year or early next year.