Meet Trooper – one of the UK’s largest police horses!

The latest addition to Greater Manchester Police’s Tactical Mounted Unit, marking a significant milestone in its 50-year history, is the largest horse ever to be enlisted.

The 10-year-old horse stands at 18.2 hands from the ground to his shoulders, which is the standard method of measuring horses. This height is approximately 1.85 meters or over 6 feet tall.

Trooper is a shire horse cross, a breed recognized for its impressive strength and substantial size.

However, it is not solely his size that has astonished the team; Trooper also performs with the prowess of a champion.

The horse formerly known as Joey has been renamed Trooper in accordance with the tradition of naming all GMP horses after characters from the novels of Charles Dickens.

He’s so big that a lot of the riding equipment had to be made bigger to fit his enormous head and body.

“Everything size-wise, even the bridle, rugs, stable, has all got to be enlarged, just to accommodate his comfort,” Trooper’s trainer, Alistair Hunstone said.

As for his, erm, windiness – it has taken his human colleagues by surprise.

“When you are riding along, it’s like you have jet propulsion.” said Alistair. “He is a big horse and he eats a lot of food. Obviously it’s better out than in.”