The first mounted unit has begun guarding the state border of Belarus

May 4, Verkhnedvinsk district / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The first horse patrol of the Polotsk Border Detachment has begun guarding the state border, a BELTA correspondent reports. The solemn ceremony of taking up duty took place today at the Sawayki outpost in the Osveyka Lake area in the Verkhnedvinsk district on the border with Latvia. Thus, the State Border Committee has launched an experiment, according to which, in the border territories with historical and ecological sites known to many tourists, border protection will also be carried out by horse patrols. The decision to revive the tradition of patrolling the border on horseback was made by the State Border Committee in early 2011. The experiment will last for two years. One outpost each from the Grodno Border Group and the Polotsk Border Detachment are participating in it. Time and practice will show how horses will adapt to the modern Belarusian border. The experiment will take into account economic feasibility, the specific results of using horse patrols in border protection, and the feedback from the servicemen themselves. The Osveyka Lake, which is part of a specially protected area, is located within the responsibility zone of the Polotsk Detachment. As noted by the Chairman of the State Border Committee Igor Rachkovsky, performing service in such a pristine place has a number of peculiarities - the use of technology is not always feasible and motivated for the preservation of the environment. Moreover, the sight of a horse border patrol is somehow closer to the pristine nature of the border region. A stable has been equipped at the Sawayki outpost. The border guards underwent special training and learned horseback riding, studied the features and veterinary requirements for keeping horses at the Republican Center for Olympic Training in Equestrian Sports and Horse Breeding and at the equestrian school operating at the Osveyka agricultural enterprise. It was here that trainers taught border guards horseback riding for several months. The selection of candidates for the horse patrol was meticulous, with preference given to conscripts from rural areas, those with veterinary or zootechnical education, and, of course, a love for horses. Choosing from many breeds, the border guards decided to opt for the Trakehner, or as it is also called, the riding and harness breed, and the Belarusian harness breed. Horses of these breeds are hardy, have strong legs, and, importantly, the animals have a good temperament. It is worth noting that maneuverable, well-trained, armed, and equipped horse units are successfully used by the border guard services and police of many countries around the world. The Border Service of the FSB of Russia can boast its own cavalry. -0-