Totally oblivious to their pending change of scene, Austin and Bret playfully toss their heads at each other, baring their teeth as if chatting while their hooves stomp the mud in their corrals. Nearby the talkative Junior pokes his head over the rails, curious about his visitors, while Trigger, ever the crowd favorite with his pale mane and furry white sock, browses on his alfalfa hay. The victims of the City of San Diego’s recent $179 million budget deficit, the seven horses remaining in the San Diego Police Departments (SDPD) mounted enforcement unit will soon go to public auction, along with their saddles, tack, horse trailers, corrals and other specialized equipment and supplies. The modern equestrian unit, until recently 10 horses strong, has been part of the SDPD since 1983. Three horses have already left the stables. One was returned to the seller, its purchase not completed, and one to its prior owner who donated the horse to the city for police use. The third, Clark, who suffers from a neurological disorder and can no longer be ridden, retired to an East County nonprofit sanctuary, Horses of Tir Na Og, where he now enjoys the good life on a Guatay ranch with 27 other horses. The horses have noticed a distinct change in their routine.  Since the decision in December to disband the unit, they are no longer ridden. Previously they were ridden almost daily for up to 10 hours at a time, used for regular patrols and crowd control at Balboa Park, the beaches, downtown and football games. But six of the seven mounted unit officers have already been reassigned, leaving only Sgt. Bret Righthouse, who commanded the unit and served 14 years as a mounted officer, to oversee dispersal of the horses and their equipment. Assistant Chief Robert Kanaski, who oversees the mounted unit, said that he and Righthouse are working with city officials to draw up rules and specifications for the sale of the horses. “We want to ensure they’re going to good homes, reputable stables. They need to be ridden. We owe it to the horses that they’re going to good places where they’ll get the right care. They’ve meant a lot to us, done a good job. They deserve to go to a good home,” Kanaski said. Although two police departments, from Los Angeles and Edmonton, Alberta in Canada, expressed interest in the horses, Kanaski expects the horses will probably be sold to riding stables or individuals looking for a reliable horse for riding. Most horses, Righthouse explained, serve as police horses about six to eight years, although some have served as long as 15. After that, their feet tend to founder from the long days spent walking on hard road surfaces. After their retirement, most police horses were sold to individuals who ride them only a few hours a week. “People like them because of their training and demeanor–they’re nice and docile,” Righthouse said. “They don’t kick and they don’t bite–except each other. They’re used to being handled. These horses are like brothers–you put them together, they fight, you separate them, they cry,” he added, his voice full of affection. The horses were all purchased from private owners, based on their size, temperament and reliability. All are large draft or workhorse crosses, mostly Percheron and Belgian mixes. To find the right horse police would usually need to look at 30 or 40 horses to find one suitable for police work, Righthouse explained. The horses had to look intimidating through their size yet be comfortable around people and crowds, allowing children and strangers to pet them, and not be spooked by loud noises, sudden movements or other environmental factors. Once the horses joined the SDPD’s mounted unit, they, like the officers, would go through special training at their own academy. The officers, Righthouse said, had their favorites, but all were trained to ride every horse. Several officers may bid on their favorite mounts. “When we work as a team (the officers) need to know the behavior of every horse and how they’ll react,” he said. It’s clearly tough on the officers to see their beloved horses go after so many years of loyal service keeping the peace. “It comes down to what we’re hired to do, what the city wants us to do and what the citizens want us to do,” Kanaski explained. The horses, he said, will be replaced by officers schooled in crowd control tactics. For more information about Horses of Tir Na Og and to contribute to Clark’s medical care and support, visit their website at www.horsesoftirnanog.org. For information about the auction of the seven horses and 20-25 saddles, which will be sold individually, and supplies and equipment, sold in lots, visit www.publicsurplus.come, and click on City of San Diego. For specific enquiries, contact Jeff Jungers at [email protected].