The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recently received an unprecedented amount of public interest in their Divestment of Horses program—a plan that focuses on the relocation of retired musical ride horses.

Previously, horses who retired from these RCMP performances—which involve 32 horses and their police officer riders conducting formations and drills to music—found new homes in charities, non-profit organizations, or other governmental institutions.

In 2022, the Divestment of Horses program implemented a new change. For the first time since its conception more than 30 years ago, members of the public were able to submit an application to adopt a retired musical ride horse.

The organization clarifies on their Facebook page, “The program matches people who are capable of providing excellent care with a former musical ride horse that’s been retired from active service due to health conditions or injuries. The top priority is finding the best possible home for each available horse based on its specific needs.”

However, when the first round of applications went live this month, the RCMP was completely overwhelmed by the sheer number they received—more than 1,000 within 24 hours. The application process closed the morning after it was first announced on social media.

In an update posted to Facebook, the RCMP says, “The Divestment of Horses program didn’t expect to receive so much interest.  While we appreciate it, we cannot accept any more applications at this time. Please note that if you applied, you will only be contacted if your application is retained for consideration. Due to the very small number of horses that qualify for this program, there is no guarantee you will be offered a horse.”

Outside of the Divestment of Horses program, horses from the RCMP breeding program who fail to meet the criteria for the musical ride are sold at auction.