Solihull Riding Club is proud to have played a role in the return of the West Midlands Police Mounted Unit, supporting the Unit during a landmark period in its reintroduction to the region after a 26-year absence.
In autumn 2025, the Mounted Unit’s horses and officers arrived at Solihull Riding Club while their new purpose-built facilities were being completed at Tally Ho in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Over the following months, the Club provided a temporary base where the horses could settle into their routines and deploy to policing operations across the whole of the West Midlands.
The Unit made full use of Solihull Riding Club’s extensive facilities, including four arenas, dedicated grazing and the Club’s boundary ride. Throughout their stay, SRC worked closely with the Mounted Unit to ensure the highest standards of horse welfare, maintaining robust biosecurity measures across grazing and stabling arrangements to support the horses’ health and wellbeing.
For members and staff, hosting the Mounted Unit offered a unique opportunity to witness the development of a policing unit that will play an important role in communities across the region. Watching the horses train within the Club’s facilities has been a particular highlight.
The Mounted Unit has now relocated to its permanent home at Tally Ho, marking the completion of an important stage in its return to service. However, the relationship between the two organisations will continue, with the police horses remaining connected to Solihull Riding Club through ongoing grazing arrangements that will allow them to enjoy turnout on their rest days.
Rich Demers, Chief Inspector for West Midlands Police Mounted Unit said:
“The Club has become an important partner in the early history of the new Mounted Unit, ensuring we were able to be operational right from day one. Our temporary base at the Club allowed us to deploy to public order incidents and patrols across the whole of the West Midlands, and to provide mutual aid to neighbouring forces.
“We are very grateful for the support we have received from Solihull Riding Club and look forward to working together in the future.”
Amanda Seabright, Head of Commercial Operations at Solihull Riding Club, said:
“Hosting the West Midlands Police horses was an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often. Seeing the Unit take shape here at Solihull Riding Club, knowing these horses would be serving communities across the region, has been incredibly special for our team.
“We know that great facilities and excellent horse welfare go hand in hand, and it has been rewarding to see the horses thrive during their time with us. The Mounted Unit has become a valued part of life at the Club over the past few months, and although they have now moved into their new home at Tally Ho, we are delighted that our partnership will continue.”
