10km Run for the Trust
Two mounted Metropolitan Police officers, who are based at the Metropolitan Police Mounted Training Establishment on Imber Court, East Molesley, completed a 10km run in aid of The Horse Trust on Sunday.
Jon Taylor, a Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch, and Libbi Ramsden, a horse trainer for the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch took part in the Ashford & District 10K run. Both completed the course in under an hour.
Originally a team of seven mounted officers were due to take part in the event, but two officers were struck down with Norovirus and the others were unable to travel to Ashford due to the snowy conditions.
The officers have already raised £250 for The Horse Trust and hope to collect in more money over the next couple of weeks.
The fundraising event was organised by Sergeant Taylor who was keen to raise funds for The Horse Trust.
"Horses are not only our business, but also our passion. The Horse Trust does an incredible amount of good work for horses and donkeys," said Sergeant Taylor.
Paul Jepson, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said: "We are delighted that the Metropolitan Mounted Branch has taken part in this event to raise money for The Horse Trust. The funds they have raised will help make a difference to the welfare of horses across the UK."
Sergeant Taylor said he was passionate about The Horse Trust's work in educating owners about the lifetime cost of horse ownership.
"Thousands of older horses and ponies in the UK are in a horrible cycle of being passed from owner to owner, often falling into neglect. The Horse Trust does a tremendous amount of work educating people and passing that message on." said Sergeant Taylor.
"I would urge people that want to buy a pony or horse for themselves or their children to look at the advice on the Horse Trust website. You need to think about whether you will be able to afford the cost of forage, vet and other bills that you'll be paying for the next twenty or thirty years," added Sergeant Taylor.
The Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch has eight operational stables spread across London. Mounted Officers have a variety of roles including crowd control at football events and patrolling crime hot spots.
The Mounted Branch team does not have an online fundraising page, but Jon Taylor has asked people to donate directly to The Horse Trust via this website – just click on the bucket of carrots!
