MPD horse 'Caballo' dies after more than a decade of service
The Minneapolis Police Department has announced it is mourning the death of one of its equestrian officers.
(FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Police Department has announced it is mourning the death of one of its equestrian officers.
Minneapolis Police Mount, Caballo or "Cabo." began showing signs of colic and distress on Monday morning. Colic is particularly dangerous for horses due to their sensitive gastrointestinal tracts. While Colic is the leading cause of death in horses, it can usually be reversed if diagnosed and quickly treated.
According to a Facebook post by the Minneapolis Mounted Police Foundation, Cabo was examined by veterinarians and then rushed to Anoka Equine for emergency surgery. During surgery, further complications were discovered and the difficult decision was made to have him peacefully euthanized.
A Spanish-Norman gelding, Cabo started a career with the Minneapolis Mounted Police in September of 2009.
According to the announcement, Cabo "was an extremely talented agile horse despite his large size. Cabo was patient and always took care of his rider. If he was off lead, he would follow his rider around the arena like a shadow. On the first night of the civil unrest [in 2020], when mounted first rode in, no horses wanted to go anywhere near the crowd. Cabo did not hesitate to push forward, guiding the other reluctant horses, demonstrating to them it was okay. He was fearless and never backed down from any challenge. He walked strongly through many obstacles and handled difficult situations with professionalism and grace. He was steadfast, strong, reliable, trusting, forgiving and never indicated he had any weaknesses. Cabo was truly the perfect police horse."
The post concludes, "Rest in Peace Caballo. 1997-2022"