BSO's Apollo Hangs Up His Horse Shoes For Greener Pastures

WESTON (CBSMiami) – The Broward Sheriff's Office is losing one of its four-legged beat cops to retirement.

Apollo, an 18-year-old Belgian Draft horse and member of BSO'S first mounted patrol unit took part in his final assignment on Tuesday after serving on the force for 12 years.

As a member of the Broward Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit, Apollo patrolled the streets of Broward County, helped with crowd control and took part in numerous parades. The past two years have been spent mainly in the City of Weston, where he is a familiar face to the many students he has met during countless career days.

Tuesday, Apollo and his partner, Dave Smith, worked side-by-side at their last career day at Imagine Charter School.

Deputy Smith recalled fondly one of the first times he took Apollo to train on the beach.

"He wasn't accustomed to oceans so when we took him to the beach from where he came from, he was like a little kid at the beach. When the waves would come up, he would back up and then he would go forward when the waves went forward and as time went on, every time I brought him to the beach, he would go in a little bit further. One day he decided to take a swim and went out a little bit further but we were able to turn back and come back to shore. He loves the beach."

After hanging up his horse shoes, Apollo has his sight set on the green pastures of Mill Creek Farm in Alachua, Fl.

There he will join other retired law enforcement horses to share stories and gallop freely around the 265-acre farm.

Mill Creek Farm is a nonprofit equine sanctuary that provides lifelong care for horses.