Milwaukee Police Mounted Patrol Welcomes New Horse

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Milwaukee Police Department Mounted Patrol Foundation announced a new horse in its unit on Wednesday after a generous donor gave the money to purchase her.

Athena, a Percheron from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the newest horse in the mounted patrol's unit, the foundation said in a Facebook post. The horse stands around 5'3 and weighs 1,700 pounds.

Calvin Lange made the donation in remembrance of his daughter Patricia Ann Lange, who was an avid horse lover and owned her own horses, the foundation said. Patricia was the first woman to complete Milwaukee's firefighter academy.

The donation also honored Lange's grandson Mark Wagner, a retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant who served in the Mounted Patrol Unit, the foundation said.

The unit uses Percheron and a few Percheron cross hourses, which are large draft horses used for police work, foundation member Shelly Stinson told Patch. "They are calm and very intelligent! Recently we have purchased them from farms that are near Milwaukee," she said.

"There is a lot of communication with the owners and then visits to make sure they would be a good fit for the job and herd," Stinson added.

"Welcome to Milwaukee and the herd Athena!" the foundation said.