First, the Denver Sheriff Department’s Mounted Posse lost Ghost.
That was in February.
Then Bing Bong died in July. And on Nov. 13, Phantom passed away.
All three horses died of colic, an illness that is the leading cause of death in horses, in the same year. The three horses belonged to two sheriff’s deputies who volunteered their animals and their time to the department’s ceremonial mounted patrol, and now they are raising money to cover veterinary bills via GoFundMe campaigns.
Bing Bong not only served in the mounted patrol unit with his owner, Deputy David Mangels, but he also was a therapy horse who worked with Mangels’ wife, Shelby Mangels.
“Both Deputy Mangels and Bing Bong worked very hard to represent the department in such a positive light and excelled tremendously,” says.
The Denver Sheriff Department’s operations chief, Vincent Line, denied The Denver Post’s request to interview the deputies about their horses. Daria Serna, a department spokeswoman, said there is no internal investigation into the deaths.
In February, Ghost, the horse owned by Deputy Andrew Keefer, was under the care of a veterinarian when he suffered another bout of colic, said. Keefer decided to take Ghost to the Littleton Equine Medical Center, but when he got to his Brighton farm, he found the vet trying to help Ghost, who was lying on his side behind the barn.
“It was a sight of pure dread,” Keefer wrote on the website. “I could see by the vet’s expression that he thought it was bleak. He didn’t have to say much.”
Keefer encouraged Ghost to stand and they were able to lead Ghost into a trailer and drive him to the equine center.
But it was too late.
“They were gracious enough to let me say goodbye to him,” Keefer wrote. “I placed my hand on his nose where I’d always greeted him, and told him I was sorry. That I’d tried my best to help him but failed. I reassured him that he was a great horse and deputy sheriff. We will all miss him dearly.”
When Phanton got sick on Nov. 13, Keefer had owned the horse for two months, and they had just been certified to work on the mounted posse.
“Keefer once again did everything in his power to save Phantom but was unsuccessful, racking up thousands in vet bills,” , which was written by Mangels, said.
That GoFundMe campaign said the losses were devastating for Keefer and his family and they are considering getting out of the horse business because of them.
Colic is a common illness for horses, no matter their breed or where they live. In general, it is a gastrointestinal illness that causes severe abdominal pain but it also can be caused by kidney stones, pregnancy and other ailments, according to posted on the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s website. Horse owners closely monitor their animals’ food, water, workload and movement to prevent it.
“It is the No. 1 killer of horses. Itap a major problem that we deal with,” CSU veterinarian Dr. Diana Hassel said in the video.
The Denver Sheriff Department’s Mounted Posse is only ceremonial. The nine-team unit is used in parades, funerals, ceremonies and other public events to represent the department and to serve as community liaisons.
The deputies in the unit volunteer their time and own their horses, and the sheriff’s department has a specific selection process for choosing who participates. Deputies must be proficient horsemen and follow appropriate guidelines for their animals’ care, and they are required to pass a 40-hour training course before they can serve in the posse, according to a department order that outlines the rules surrounding the unit.
They receive $100 a month from the department to offset expenses, Serna said.
While Denver sheriff’s officials would not discuss the horses and their impact on the department and the community, Keefer wrote about Ghost’s courageous personality on GoFundMe and the animal’s impact on people.
“I tell the kids all the time: Bravery is not the absence of fear. Itap being afraid and doing it anyway. There is no doubt that Ghost felt fearful, but he always pressed on and did whatever I asked of him,” Keefer wrote. “As someone who has always been full of anxieties, I admired him more than I can say. I did my best to earn his trust and respect by trying to be like him.”
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