A trip down memory lane: the first intake of mounted officers at Hough End return

Over 45 years ago, in 1976, the centre at Hough End first opened its doors to the Greater Manchester Police mounted unit, where over 40 horses were stabled.

The site was bustling with activity and provided guided tours for eager members of the public who wanted to see what went on behind the scenes.

Mounted officers would perform all the equestrian duties needed to take care of their steeds, including all mucking out, grooming and preparing for show days, on top of actively patrolling across all the communities in Greater Manchester.

It was a busy time, and the first three to lead the charge into this new era were, PC Steve Lee, PC John Dursley and PC David Hunt.

Since then, the unit has been drastically reduced and there are less than half the horses on-site than when the PCs were working here.

PC David Hurst said: “There was great camaraderie during our time here, and we have fond memories from when we were here.

“The stable block has changed slightly, to allow for more room for the horses to be stabled and we never had grooms when we were around, as we had to do it all ourselves.

“We all had a six-pack back then, whereas now we’re not anywhere near as fit as we used to be. It was a hugely active role.

“When we arrived, the tradition was started to name all the horses after Charles Dickins characters and there are many here today that have the same names as ours did. It’s great to see that tradition continuing.

“It’s great to see things like the original forge, where the farrier shoes the horses, is still here and it brings back lots of memories of working with the farrier. The farrier was a huge part of the team and still is to this day and was very protective of all the horses.

“You did everything you could for them, but it was also a lot of fun and everyone looked out for each other. It was a great place to be."