Like China, the Chennai city police horse battalion is facing a problem of ageing and the horses are finding it difficult to cope with their duties under the scorching sun.
In fact, the first death of an aged horse (Supreme Chancellor) due to sunstroke has been reported for the season and the animal-keepers are concerned as two more horses are being treated at the Madras veterinary college for dehydration and ageing.
According to the veterinary college sources, the workers of the battalion are now working overtime to ensure that the weather does not increase the annual summer mortality which is common in any horse stable.
Most of them are aged and the average maximum age of a crossbreed horse is between 13 and 17 years considering Indian climatic conditions.
The horse that died on Thursday had kidney ailments. And for these reasons, the vets had also recommended the city police not to provide intense gallops as almost 50 per cent of them have weak tendons due to ageing.
There is a need for young equine brood stock in the city police unit, sources added.
According to city police sources, most of their horses were donated by philanthropists and already aged or donated after retirement from races and commercial activities.
However, to improve their conditions, supplements enriched with cod liver and multivitamins are provided.
The police mounted battalion as of now has 27 horses, including 11 female horses but a majority is 10 to 14 years old, the sources added.
The horses attached to the mounted battalion are used for beach patrol: otherwise they are a ceremonial unit of the historic city police system.