The Montreal Police are selling one of their retired horses

Have you ever wondered about what happens to police horses when they retire?

You’ve heard of purchasing stolen and confiscated goods at police auctions. To purchase a horse, however, is an entirely different story. That’s just the case with the Montreal Police (SPVM), as citizens are actually able to purchase horses from the department.

Nous contactons des gens qui ont démontré de l’intérêt pour acheter un cheval policier. La mise en candidature est minutieusement analysée puisque nous devons nous assurer du bien-être du cheval.
En savoir +: https://t.co/OMNtHkysEz
^CC

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) May 3, 2018

The sales often take place when it’s a horse’s time to retire. The SPVM will reach out to the people who have shown interest in buying a police horse.

The demand, also, is much higher than you’d expect. In many cases, according to the SPVM, a raffle is needed when multiple buyers are interested.

SPVM

All the horses, according to the SPVM, have the following qualities:

calm and cool-headed
sociable and love being handled
tolerable to loud noise and music

They’re also likely to be the following:

A Canadian breed
Male horse
Typically with a dark or black bay
A minimum of 15 hands 3 (63″)
In peak physical condition
Able to move on changing terrain and cope with difficult conditions

Before the rights to purchase the horse are fully given, a visit to potential future homes for the horse are essential. It’s part of the SPVM’s way of ensuring that after a life of service, the horse will be well treated and taken care of.

To add on, potential buyers must sign a joint contract with the police, to ensure that the horse isn’t used for commercial purposes.

SPVM

So whether you’re truly interested in the purchase of a police horse or were just curious as to what comes of them post-retirement, it’s a heart-warming sign to see that they all end up in loving hands.