Jake is a police horse that knows exactly what he’s doing in life. The 20-year-old stallion has been working with the Merseyside Police in Northwest England for the past 15 years. He patrols large events, keeps his community safe, and when he’s on duty, he’s focused and determined. Jake takes his job seriously, but that doesn’t mean getting out of bed is easy. He needs a little something to get him going, and like a true Brit, his beverage of choice is a cup of hot tea.
Merseyside Police have videos of their hard-working police horse taking part in his morning ritual. It’s gotten to the point where Jake’s human handlers know they won’t get anything done until Jake has his tea. It started when the curious horse managed to stick his tongue into his rider’s cup one morning. Jake was instantly hooked, and he’s now included in the staff’s morning tea round.
Every morning, Jake waits patiently for one human or another to come around to his stall with his special mug. Everyone at the Merseyside Police Mounted Section knows Jake’s tea order. He’s not above stealing a slurp when a colleague isn’t looking, but he prefers his tea with skim milk and two sugars. Manager and trainer Lindsey Gaven told New York Post,
“We’ve learned his tea order–he’ll deal with one sugar, but is definitely happier when you remember to give him two.”
Jake also prefers a little cold water in his tea for temperature control. He takes his mornings slow by relaxing in his stall and savoring every last drop of his favorite tea. The police horse isn’t great at handling the mug, but still, he rarely spills. The videos of his morning ritual show him gingerly putting his tongue in his mug.
Jake’s taste for tea has made him a bit of a celebrity. Everyone who visits him at work recognizes him, and he has plenty of friends. And after 15 years of dedicated service, Jake is getting ready to retire. He’ll hang up his badge next year, but we don’t think he’ll ever give up his drinking habit.
