Can You Make A Horse Smile? You Bet! Here's How...

Big D, a 16-year-old palomino draft cross named in honor of fallen officer Forrest Edward "Dino" Taylor, is a wonderful example of a horse who found a meaningful second career. Big D pulled farm wagons and plows before joining the urban Baltimore Police Mounted Unit as a peacekeeper.

Baltimore's mounted police unit has helped keep the city's peace since 1886. As the unit's leader, Sergeant Russell Robar makes sure the unit continues to serve as a positive and efficient force in Maryland while maintaining its recognition as the oldest continually operated unit in the United States. The pair leads the unit in over 170 community and service events each year. 

Dino and most of the unit's horses came from Amish farms and were retired after years of pulling plows and farm wagons. They are well suited for the routine patrols of city streets and their crowd control duties. Big D and the seven other equine members of the unit also serve as a model to teach Baltimore youth about the value of public service. "Dino's our alpha lead horse and a no-nonsense workhorse," Robar said. "The children on the Amish farms would be climbing all over them. They're used to people."

Big D and Sergeant Robar received the Klinger Perpetual Award for Honor & Service sponsored by the EQUUS Foundation at the Washington International Horse Show on Friday, October 26, 2018, in recognition of their service. 

The EQUUS Foundation is committed to ending the abuse and neglect of America's horses by providing opportunities for horses to thrive. 

Links:

• Big D & Sergeant Russell Robar receive Klinger Award