As heat soars, cops gift 4 AC stables to their horses
Times of India | 2 June 2025
12 Kolkata: Eleven years after AC stables were introduced at the SN Banerjee Road Stable of Kolkata Mounted Police (KMP), Sunday saw the inauguration of four more similar stables at the Police Training School in Alipore.The proposal for setting up air conditioners for Kolkata Police horses was an old one. However, an incident this May, when eight horses of mounted police fell ill due to heat, led the unit to send an SOS to Lalbazar, which was promptly accepted.The Police Training School stable currently houses 27 horses. "There are already four ACs at the SN Banerjee Road, where 38 horses are presently kept," said an officer. The AC stables, along with ice baths, have turned out to be a healing experience for the horses. According to police sources, the AC stables also fulfil the requirement of immediate action once horses feel exhausted. "Heat exhaustion in horses can be fatal if not treated promptly. The symptoms include excessive sweating, rapid breathing, and elevated body temperature, which we observed in our affected horses," said an officer."We assess how well a horse is hydrated based on how slick and moist their mucous membranes are," said a KP vet, adding that dehydrated horses will have dry, tacky gums. Hydrated gums are moist and pink. "If you press on the gum, and the colour doesn't come back in less than two seconds, then that usually indicates that they have got clinical dehydration, where the fluid that is supposed to be circulating as part of their blood, has become too low," he explained. The Kolkata Mounted Police, which has been operational since 1840, has only recently begun modernising its facilities to combat the effects of rising temperatures."AC resting places have become a necessity to keep the horses free from heat-related diseases so that they stay fit to do rounds in the vast stretches of Maidan in a hot and sultry afternoon. If a horse suffers from heatstroke, it needs to rest in an AC chamber for at least 3 to 4 hours," said another officer."As extreme heat-like conditions are prevailing in Kolkata, we have started monitoring the water intake of the horses from the early hours of the day. We fill the water containers for each horse at least four times a day. We ensure that each of them drink at least 20 to 25 litres of water daily," said Abhra Chatterjee, OC KMP. "We have also modified their patrol timings to avoid peak heat hours, more water stations across patrol routes, and are providing electrolyte supplements to maintain their hydration levels," he said."We examine each horse that returns to the stable from Maidan," said an officer. "The vets also suggest fodder that is easily digestible. We also keep vets ready to treat them in cases of emergencies," he added.