A new stable consisting of nine Indian thoroughbred horses was inaugurated by city police commissioner Anurag Sharma and his wife Mamata at Goshamahal Police Stadium on Monday. With the addition of these horses, the total strength of horses in mounted police wing of the City Armed Reserve will go up to 27. The City Police force now boasts of 11 thoroughbred horses and 16 native Indian breed horses.
Talking about how the horses help in controlling angry mobs and protesters, Ezekiel Arsi, a personnel in the mounted police wing says,”During any riot it is difficult for vehicle-borne police to scatter the agitating mob as it is tough for them to pass through the crowd.
The mounted police are especially useful at Bonalu processions in the city. Apart from that they add to solemn vibe of ceremonial functions like independence day, Republic day, Police Commemoration day and to escort high profile visits and give them a guard of honour.”
Unlike native Indian bred horses, the thoroughbred horses are known for their aggression and mostly used at professional racing courses, he said. “Generally, the native Indian breed are short in stature and known for their stamina and are capable of walking continuously at nine kilometers per hour for whole day. On the other hand, the thoroughbreds are known for picking up speed. At times, these horses pick up a speed of 80 kilometers per hour,” he added.
Explaining the training process of the thoroughbreds, Ch. Maheshwar, inspector, M-wing, City Armed Reserve said, “Every morning training sessions for horses are held for two-and-half hours at Goshamahal Stadium track. The horses are made to walk, trot and a three-beat rhythmic gait called canter.” The horses inducted at a young age of one or two years into police force will serve up to 20 to 25 years, according to Eziekil. “The life span of a horse is 25 years. Once the horse becomes old and weak after 15 years, it is sold out in auctioning and mostly bought by people who rent horses for wedding,” he added.
Among those present were Additional Commissioners Anjani Kumar (Law and Order) and Amit Garg (Traffic).