Equine Empress retires from the army

What happens to military horses when they retire? They find their way to a horsey haven, AKA The Horse Trust

Empress was born in Ireland in July 1999. She’s a 17.2hh Irish Sports Horse who begun her service with the Household Cavalry in Windsor in June 2003. With a great attitude, willingness to please and quiet constitution, Empress made the perfect charger.

She was a firm favourite among the riders, enjoying a long stint at the Household Cavalry Training Wing in Windsor, where she trained new riders. Empress also had a leading role in Prince Harry and Prince William’s weddings, nearly all of the state visits to the UK and all the Queen’s Birthday Parades on Horse Guards.

Captain Skip Nicholls, Riding Master at the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, explains: “Most military working horses will serve an 18-year career. It’s not heavy work, but they do have to carry a lot of weight with all the ceremonial uniforms, and we’ll never work a horse to the point they can’t continue at peak performance. We want them to retire with some quality life left in them so they can enjoy a happy 5-10 years of retirement in a nice home”.

Most military horses retire to loving families or farms where they become hunt or hacking horses. Some even enjoy the rest of their days with former soldiers they’ve bonded with. The army has a database of horses who can be bought when they retire. Prospective homes are checked carefully to make sure the horse will live a happy and healthy life there. However, there aren’t private homes for every military retiree.

“The Horse Trust takes about 25 horses a year from the police and the army,” said Captain Nicholls. “They take our oldest, boldest and those dearest to our hearts. The Horse Trust is fantastic. We’d love them to buy more fields so they could take more animals, but sadly it just comes down to acreage. They won’t compromise on standards.”

Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said: “Working horses today are the equine equivalent of the civil servant. 75% come from government jobs, working with the police or the military having been owned by the state. But, unlike civil servants, they don’t get a pension when they retire, so we step forward and offer these remarkable animals the retirement they deserve. It’s like the Royal Hospital Chelsea for army horses”.

Empress, like lots of retired military horses, will enjoy the rest of her days with The Horse Trust. 37 of her former colleagues live there, too. Captain Nicholls said: “When she sees the fields she’ll instantly relax. There’s quite a few horses there she’ll recognise by smell, they’ll have the odd whinny, and it won’t be too long before she realises, she’s home.”

 For more information, visit thehorsetrust.org.uk