b'The unique lives, needs, and challenges of police horsesHORSES IN UniformISTOCK.COMWith the right selection andM inister might have watched National Velvet a few too many CHRISTA LEST-LASSERRE, MAtimes. The spirited white-socked chestnut gelding seemed to be identifying with young Elizabeth Taylors Thoroughbred costar, training, city police horses,The Pie, who was also a spirited white-socked chestnut gelding. In such as these NYPD mountsthe 1944 classic film The Pie won Englands most famous steeplechase, The working the Macys Thanks-giving Day Parade, adaptGrand National, at Aintree Racecourse, in Liverpool. very well to their jobs andMinister, though, wasnt a racehorse. Even though he was on the Aintree track, tacked and environments. mounted, excited with the energy of the race, he wasnt on the roster. Thats because he had a dif-ferent jobMinister was a police horse.Decked out in official police horse gear, his uniform as a member of the Merseyside Police mounted section in Liverpool, Minister served under his rider, Constable Mark Lynch, as patrol-ling mount during the Grand National. Stationed in front of the infamous Bechers Brook, Lynch and Minister stood guard while thousands of fans cheered on the start of the race. As the hooves thundered closer to the immense jump in front of them, the 23-year-old police horse broke TheHorse.com|The HorseMarch 202025PLACEMENT OF PHOTO AND TEXT MAY CHANGE (please remember to keep whitespace for caption)PoliceHorses.indd 25 2/4/20 9:06 AM'