Royal Mail stamps celebrate working horses

Working Horses is a six-stamp set featuring horses from the Riding for the Disabled Association, The King’s Troop Ceremonial Horses, dray horses, Royal Mews Carriage horses, Police horses and a Forestry horse.

Ex-Roundel direcror Denny says the Royal Mail commissioning team knows he has ‘a great interest in horses’ and adds, ‘It was important to me that horses featured large in the stamps and that I showed them at their best’.

The photographic series captures real horses engaged in their work. They have been issued along with a first day cover set, two special hand stamps, and a presentation pack, designed by Jack Renwick Studio, which features illustration by Robert M Ball.

Denny and Batten sourced images for some of the stamps and commissioned photographs for the Riding for the Disabled Association scene, the police horses at work and the dray horses working for a brewery.

The Royal Mail says it has chosen to focus on horses as a tribute for their service to ‘life and labour in human culture’ for more than 6000 years, and in recognition to the 1 million horses which live in the UK.

Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail Stamps says, ‘Throughout human history, the horse has often been at the centre of events. Today the horse still contributes greatly to society, from practical and recreational uses to the leading ceremonies of state. Royal Mail is delighted to mark the contribution working horses make to British life.’