Bald as a horse

There are a lot of stories about cops shaving their heads for charity. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle has a story about mounted police and their horses shaving their manes together.

But it's the long strands of this horse's jet-black mane that will help send a child to Disney World or on a date with a celebrity. And not just any child, but one with a special wish to offset the pain and anxiety of dealing with a long-term illness.

Because like many of these children, Myrtle and her rider will soon lose their hair. It's just another form of public service for these members of the Rochester Police Department Mounted Patrol.

They're raising money for the Dream Factory of Rochester, an organization that grants special wishes to children who are critically, chronically, and terminally ill.

The horses set this one apart from most of the similar charity ventures that I've read about. Apparently, horses used by the mounted police normally have their manes kept pretty short, so that their manes won't be pulled by people in crowd-control situations. For this event, the manes will be cut even shorter than normal.