N.J. State Police mourn horse's death
A horse that was a longtime fixture with New Jersey state troopers at community events died this week. Sprout was 22.
A horse that was a longtime fixture with New Jersey state troopers at community events died this week. Sprout was 22.
Lt. Ted Schafer, the horse's owner, started bringing Sprout to special events that troopers were attending in 2000. The first was the Memorial Day parade in Farmingdale.
Sprout also attended graduations, picnics, and other special occasions over the years, becoming popular with children and adults.
The 1,800-pound Belgian draft horse was a "gentle giant" that loved interacting with people - and people loved him back, Schafer said.
"A horse is a great way to break down the barrier between the police and the public," he said.
Schafer, a 22-year veteran of the force who works at the department's headquarters, bought Sprout more than 16 years ago to take him to police events. No other horses serve that role for the department, officials said.
Sprout couldn't even stand on his own when he was rescued as a young horse from a Long Island farm, where he had been starved and left for dead, Schafer said. The lieutenant, who had training as a mounted officer, bought him about three years later, and the recovered horse started making appearances in New Jersey communities.
One event was particularly memorable for Schafer: A State Police Academy graduation ceremony in East Orange about 12 years ago. Schafer said he was waiting outside with Sprout, unsure of how residents in the poor neighborhood would react.
A couple of hundred people gathered around them. At first, they had no desire to talk to the officer. But they were drawn to the horse.
"They couldn't figure out what this horse was doing in that environment," Schafer recalled. The crowd soon warmed to the trooper, he said, asking all kinds of questions.
"People just wanted to talk," he said. "It really left an impression on me."
Sprout's cause of death is not known, Schafer said. The horse died Sunday night or early Monday, and had appeared in good health earlier in the weekend.
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