Police horses returning to duty as Lancers set to reopen after strangles outbreak
Sarge and Valour among 27 horses given clean bill of health at downtown Halifax stable
Two Halifax police horses are getting ready to return to active duty as the downtown stable where they live prepares to reopen its doors following an 11-week quarantine due to a highly contagious respiratory infection.
Sarge and Valour are two of the 27 horses that live at the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers, where the infection was discovered. Sarge is one of the horses that contracted strangles.
In a tweet Friday, Halifax Regional Police said the two horses are healthy and are in the process of getting ready to return to active duty.
Const. David Gallivan, one of police force's horse handlers, said he's looking forward to getting back in the saddle.
"Being away from it, it's hard," he said. "They've got a lot of fan bases out in the community. You kind of miss that interaction with the community."
We <a href="https://twitter.com/HfxRegPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HfxRegPolice</a> are so happy to report <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sarge?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sarge</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Valour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Valour</a> are healthy!!!! They have begun the process of getting ready to return to active duty....but first they are getting treated to a spa day! Baths, grooming and lots of smiles from their human partners!! <a href="https://t.co/8vqp7ziutl">pic.twitter.com/8vqp7ziutl</a>
—@HRPMountedUnitBut it's more than just the community interaction that Gallivan's been missing.
"We miss just being around them," he said. "It's just like having your own pet. If you're away from your pet or you're separated, you have those feelings, right?"
Sarge and Valour have had a spa day to get them ready to hit the pavement. They've been bathed and have had their manes trimmed and feet cleaned.
Gallivan said starting Tuesday, the horses will go out on short walks and work their way up to a full return to duties.
"They're bright. They're happy. I think knowing their personalities, they're happy to see us back."
Program suspension
In May, an equine strangles outbreak forced the Bengal Lancers, a non-profit, to quarantine its stable and suspend all programs, including riding lessons, therapy sessions for adults and kids, and summer camps.
On Wednesday, the organization said in a Facebook post that all the horses at the stable are officially strangles free.
"Every single horse in the barn has now undergone 3 separate tests to confirm they are all free of strangles," the post said.
The group announced it will be opening its doors again next week.
Strangles is caused by Streptococcus equi bacterium. It can cause enlarged lymph nodes in a horse's throat, which can impair its breathing. The disease is highly contagious to horses.
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