ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - One of tasks of Croatia's special police is to control more than 3,000 kilometres of the state border. There are areas where border policemen cannot perform their duties in vehicles so they use horses.
Therefore, cavalry units have been established to monitor the frontier in Koprivnica-Krizevci County (bordering with Hungary) and Sisak-Moslavina and Slavonski Brod-Posavina Counties (bordering with Bosnia-Herzegovina).
ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - One of tasks of Croatia's special police is
to control more than 3,000 kilometres of the state border. There are
areas where border policemen cannot perform their duties in
vehicles so they use horses. Therefore, cavalry units have been
established to monitor the frontier in Koprivnica-Krizevci County
(bordering with Hungary) and Sisak-Moslavina and Slavonski Brod-
Posavina Counties (bordering with Bosnia-Herzegovina).#L#
The training polygon and stables for these units are now situated in
Bjelovar, said police officer Josip Rohacek in an interview to
Hina.
Cavalry formations were set up within the special police in 1994,
and one year later they began functioning as a department within the
Interior Ministry.
Each of three cavalry units has 12 horses and 16 horsemen, whereas
about 40 horses are being trained in the Bjelovar centre.
The introduction of cavalry units has proved useful and experiences
to date have been positive.
There were no built roads at many parts of the state frontier, the
horse was useful as policemen riding them could tour such areas and
easily see and listen to what was going on during their patrols,
Rohacek said.
A pair of policemen-riders and horses is included in regular
patrols, or two pairs patrol the border. Riders use horses six days
in the week, and they cover between 30 and 36 kilometres during one
regular six-hour patrol.
Volunteers policemen from special police apply for this task. The
basic course lasts three months, and after that applicants have to
pass the final test in order to become members of Croatia's cavalry
units.
When these units were set-up, there were no horse suppliers in
Croatia, so that police imported horses from neighbouring Hungary.
Thus, cooperation has been developed with Hungarian Interior
Ministry. Hungarian saddle horses are mentally more stable and less
susceptible to injuries than thoroughbred steed. Besides Hungarian
horses, the domestic Posavac horse is also engaged for this task.
The price of a Hungarian horse is between four and five thousand
German marks. It is necessary to ensure about 30 kuna per day to feed
it, but this depends on the summer or winter regime of feeding.
Rohacek said Croatia was intending to build facilities for the
cavalry in another three counties - Karlovac, Lika-Senj and
Vukovar-Sirmium - by 2001.
(hina) ms