Source The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate
The oldest horse of the New Orleans Police Department's mounted unit died at 26 years old Monday morning, after spending his life patrolling the city's streets.
There's a chance you saw Elvis years ago as he trotted along Mardi Gras routes, his hooves clashing down on streets littered with beads, beer bottles and empty plastic bags. Or, perhaps you saw him at the mounted unit's stables in City Park during the annual "Horses, Hops and Cops," a fundraiser that benefits the unit.
In 2001, the roan, warmblood horse was acquired from Angola and served the unit for 20 years before retiring in 2021 due to old age and health issues.
Elvis died before he could return to a farm in Folsom, Louisiana, where horses are sent after retiring from the unit, according to a statement from NOPD.
"The NOPD, especially the mounted unit, is greatly saddened by the passing of this noble ambassador for our city," NOPD public information officer Karen Boudrie wrote in the statement.
A brief history of the unit
The mounted unit has been an iconic division of NOPD since 1925.
The unit's horses, which are typically a part of the warmblood breed, are often seen in the French Quarter and come out during the city's celebratory events and festivals. As of January, there were 26 horses enrolled in the division, according to NOPD.
The horses must meet specific qualifications to take part in the police department's nearly century-old tradition.
A horse must present a combination of good temperament and personality to join the team, according to NOPD's website. Once selected, it can take anywhere from a few months to a year for the horse to be fully trained and ready to serve the city.
In 2016, NOPD launched an in-house breeding program to continue its history of quality horses in the unit.
A new addition to the team
NOPD welcomed its first miniature horse earlier this year.
The 15-year-old miniature horse stands short, but mighty, at 3-feet tall, and he was given a name that accurately represents his one missing eye: Patch.
Ponies were a part of the mounted patrol before Hurricane Katrina, but NOPD has never quite had a horse like Patch.
The department knew the tiny horse had to be a part of the team once they saw NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick's cheerful reaction to Patch during a Secret Santa event.
"Not only will Patch be the superintendent's friend and the unit's new one-eyed mascot, he also has a very important job — being a companion to the other horses, reducing their anxiety and relieving boredom," NOPD said in a statement at the time.
By the time Patch made it to the stables, the 26 mount horses were already welcoming him with gentle nuzzles, Boudrie told The Times-Picayune earlier this year.
Ask before petting
Bystanders are expected to follow a set of rules when the mounted patrol's horses travel through the streets.
In the past, people have been bitten, including one person who lost a finger, because horses think they are being offered food, Sergeant Damond Harris told The Times-Picayune.
Harris said that parade-goers should always ask mounted officers for permission before petting a horse.
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