On Tuesday, 16 July 2019, Dr Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner visited the Ring Farm Stables in Barnsley to see how the horses were settling in to their refurbished home.

The South Yorkshire Police Mounted Section have relocated back to their home in Cudworth after a short collaborative stay with the West Yorkshire Police Mounted Section at Carr Gate, Wakefield.

The Commissioner said: “I visited the Mounted Section of South Yorkshire Police.  They have now returned to from West Yorkshire. The collaboration there did not work out. So Ring Farm has been refurbished and the horses have returned.

“South Yorkshire Police is only one of eleven forces that have a mounted section. Many were lost during the period of austerity as they are an expensive provision. But as well as their very effective role in such things as crowd control, they are also really good for engagement with the public. The officers were telling me how people are much more likely to come and speak with them when they are on the horses. They pick up a good deal of useful intelligence that way.

“But they are big beasts! 16 hands – or about 6ft to the shoulder.

“One of the interesting things they have at Ring Farm is a record of every horse that has been bought by the force since 1900 – when it started as Sheffield Police – and what became of them.”