Name/Title
Sussex Police mounted officer's saddle and attachmentsEntry/Object ID
221Description
Sussex Police mounted officer's leather saddle and associated leather equipment pouches together with mounted officer's "sabre" and scabbard.Use
For use by a Sussex Police mounted officer.Context
Most of the pre amalgamation Sussex police forces made use of mounted officers, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However they usually rented horses when they were required and did not have full time mounted units. Photographs indicate that they did use horse breastplates with individual force crests on them, suggesting that they retained at least some tack.
The only two forces that are known to have had their own horses and to have retained them until amalgamation in 1968, are those of Eastbourne and Brighton Boroughs.
In 1929 Eastbourne Borough Council took ownership of a large area of downland around Beachy Head, in order to prevent development. To police this area the unique police post of Downs Ranger was created, a full time mounted officer of Eastbourne Borough Police, based at a stable at Beachy Head. The officers in this role and their horses became famous with tourists. PC Henry Poole served in the role from 1929 to 1953 and PC Harry Ward from 1953 until 1966. The last Downs Ranger was PC Jack Williams who took over in 1966.
Brighton Borough Police also had full time horses and in the 1960s retained two for its mounted unit. When the new police station at John Street was finished in 1965 it came complete with stables at the rear.
After the 1968 creation of Sussex Constabulary a full time mounted branch was retained at the John Street stables, consisting of one horse, a full time officer and relief officers who could ride from other departments. This unit was part of the Traffic Department and officers were issued with white traffic officer's caps. In 1974 it was felt that the horses were not being used efficiently and Sussex Constabulary recruited two experienced mounted officers from other forces, PC Bob Bird from the Metropolitan Police and PC Tom Grey from Glasgow. At the same time PC Jack Williams, who was still the Downs Ranger, joined the unit at Brighton and the role of Down's Ranger came to an end. Sussex Constabulary became Sussex Police and the mounted unit eventually grew to four police constables, a sergeant and four horses, under an inspector who also managed the Dog unit. The mounted unit was eventually disbanded in 1989.
This saddle and attachments is of a generic type used for mounted police in the UK. Mounted officers were often issued with long wooden truncheons for use on horseback but also had batons like that with this saddle. These are 36 inches long and are made of wood (often bamboo) and are covered with tightly bound twine. They have leather hand guard and are called sabres because they are similar to a sword. For special occasions this saddle would have been worn over a saddle cloth(see item 601).