Pennsylvania State Police seek donated horses for mounted patrol unit

Maverick spent the last decade of his life in public service, ranging from ceremonial duties in the nation’s capital to watching over World Series attendees in Philadelphia.

The Percheron crossbreed horse was about 6 when owners Dave and Pat Miller of Youngwood donated him as a recruit for the Pennsylvania State Police mounted patrol unit.

“He was a wonderful horse that was a lot of fun to be around,” Dave Miller said. “They were glad to get him.”

To ensure the mounted unit can stay at full strength, with 28 horses at its Hershey stable and training academy, state police are looking for more people to follow the local couple’s example, by donating horses that have “quiet, sound dispositions” and meet other criteria.

According to police, donated horses must be geldings, age 5 to 15, at least 5 feet, 4 inches at the shoulder. Draft and draft crosses are the preferred breeds.

Donated horses receive a veterinary examination and undergo a four-month trial period before becoming permanent members of the mounted unit. Police note nine horses passed muster out of a dozen that have been donated since 2015.

Horses and the officers who ride them are deployed across the state, and sometimes beyond, for security and crowd control details, or to take part in searches, parades or other community events.

They’ve been called out to participate in ceremonies at the Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset County and to help manage crowds during recent civil unrest, at Steelers home games and during the IUPatty’s weekend, a spring celebration that has been thrown by students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is not sanctioned by the university.

The large mounts provide a high vantage point for officers approaching a crowd and, at community occasions, are good for public relations, noted Ryan Tarkowksi, state police communications director.

“We don’t really have a retirement age for our horses,” he said. “They let us know when they’re done serving. We watch for changes in their behavior and their energy level.”

When they are retired from the unit, the horses are offered back to their original owners before police search for other suitable homes.

The Millers adopted Maverick from a rescue group when he was about 6 months old. “We got him down near Washington (Washington County),” Pat Miller recalled. “They were rescuing horses that were being shipped to France to be butchered.”

The large horse “liked to be around the kids,” she said. But, as the younger members of the family grew older, they were drawn to other activities. When the Millers learned of the police donation program, they decided it was the best option for Maverick.

“We didn’t really have the room that a horse like him needed,” Pat said. “We thought he would get a good home with a big pasture where he could run free.”

The Millers took their grandchildren to visit Maverick at his new home in Hershey. The couple was saddened several years ago to learn the horse never made it to retirement but became ill and died while serving in Hershey.

“We still miss him,” Dave Miller said.

Police note owners often donate horses to the mounted unit because they find the cost of ownership is becoming a financial strain or feel the animal would benefit from the mental and physical activity that comes with having a job.

To arrange a donation or for more information, contact Sgt. Carrie A. Neidigh at cneidigh@pa.gov or 717-533-3463.