Meet Trooper, Britain’s newest – and biggest — police horse

Meet Trooper, Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) newest equine recruit, an 18.2hh part-bred Shire who is settling in well to life in the mounted branch.

Trooper, 11, has passed his initial assessment with flying colours, and is now comfortably installed, enjoying turnout and his “penthouse suite” extra-large stable, as the biggest police horse in the country.

GMP stable manager Claire Hamer spoke about Trooper, and the training all equine recruits undertake.

“He’s one of the biggest police horses nationally for a long time,” she said. “He’s a gentle giant, and he likes people.”

Trooper came from the Cumbrian Heavy Horses riding centre, from which the mounted unit has bought horses before.