The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are overwhelmed by the response from Canadian horse lovers.

The RCMP's Musical Ride performances have been happening for over 100 years, and the RCMP have been breeding horses since 1939.

Horses who don't meet Musical Ride requirements are auctioned off every few years, and horses who have had to retire from the program due to age, health issues, or injuries, have been donated to non-profits or charities.

A policy change in 2022 allowed for members of the public to apply to care for retired horses as well.

Last week, for the first time, the RCMP started taking applications from the public for their Divestment of Horses Program.

Applications opened on Wednesday, and by the following day, the RCMP sent out a social media post saying they didn't expect such an overwhelming response.

The RCMP is now looking through applications and will soon respond to those under consideration.

They'll be looking to find the best possible match based on each horse's individual needs.

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