Sarasota Sheriff's Office horse dies at the age of 14

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is mourning the loss of one of their horses on the Mounted Patrol Unit.

The agency said Freedom, a 14-year-old Gelding Thoroughbred who had been with the sheriff's office for six years, died Saturday.

"Our Mounted Patrol Unit was forced to bury Freedom in the pasture after he severely broke his leg and several ribs while running, which was his very favorite thing to do," the sheriff's office wrote.

Freedom was donated to the sheriff's office in 2015 by the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation.

"By all accounts, Freedom was a phenomenal horse and his name suited him well as he loved nothing more than to run in open pastures," the sheriff's office said. "He was a challenging horse to ride, with a mind of his own but gentle spirit. Freedom could also never turn down a head scratch... Rest easy big guy, you will be very, very missed."