RCMP Musical Ride Breeding Program

Our horse DeNouveau is now officially licensed for life with the Hanoverian Verband as a Registered Hanoverian stallion. This is a prestigious achievement for any horse, as it speaks to the horse’s superior quality and confirms its suitability for the Musical Ride’s specific requirements of temperament and rideability.

It’s also a proud moment for our breeding program because DeNouveau is the first RCMPbred, born and raised horse to accomplish this feat. DeNouveau will continue to produce superior quality offspring for our program for years to come, including some horses who may make it to the Musical Ride some day!

The farm, located in Pakenham ON, is home to about 15 brood mares, 2 stallions and 30 young, developing horses. The welfare of the horses is always the number one priority. The experienced staff at the farm oversees the care and well-being of the horses at all times. They address any issues immediately and a veterinarian attends as required.

Historically, the RCMP bred horses that were mainly thoroughbreds. In March 1989, we added black Hanoverian broodmares and stallions to help improve the stock's bloodlines in terms of:

• colour

• substance

• conformation

From naming to joining the Musical Ride

Each year, the foals get their names from the Name The Foal contest. Kids across the country submit their best name starting with a specific letter that changes each year.

The horses eventually go on to join the RCMP Musical Ride as long as they meet certain requirements, including:

• size

• colour

• rideability

• temperament

RCMP horses also appear in various public functions, such as parades, Royal escorts, and other special events.

The Life Cycle of our Horses

The life cycle of a Musical Ride horse is roughly 20 to 25 years, with changing roles as they age.

Birth to age 3: The young horses are at the farm growing and developing.

Ages 3 to 6: The young horses, called remounts (replacement mounts), move to the Musical Ride stables where they undergo a minimum of 3 years of training and development.

Age 6 onward: Once their training is complete, the horses perform on the Musical Ride for about 10 years.

Post-Musical Ride: When horses stop performing on the Musical Ride, they serve as schoolmasters. They help to train future riders and perform local ceremonial duties.

Our Horse Auction

Every 1 to 2 years (as needed), we auction surplus horses that don't meet the Musical Ride's strict requirements. These highly sought after horses are excellent for Dressage, Show Jumping and other Equitation disciplines.

We take a number of measures to ensure horses go to serious buyers. We set minimum bids and require bidders to register on gcsurplus.ca in advance.

Proceeds from the sale of these horses go back into the Musical Ride breeding program.

Our Senior Horses

Sometimes our senior horses can no longer meet the needs of the Musical Ride (whether due to age, health conditions, or other reasons). When their Musical Ride service ends, we look for good homes where they can live comfortably and continue serving the public in a different capacity.

Just before Christmas, TUFF Therapeutic Riding Foundation welcomed former Musical

Ride horses Brodie and Oracle, who will be a welcomed addition to their therapeutic programming. We’re so happy Brodie and Oracle can help these at-risk youth, and it seems the kids already love having them around!