Our October outing was a visit to the Police Training Centre in Marsa. 38 persons, including five guests, enjoyed a very successful tour, organised by Barrie Meyers. The Police officers were very welcoming and gave us a very interesting talk about the history of the Horse Section, which was set up during the British rule in Malta. We were given all the information about how the horses are brought from France and how they are cared for and trained at Police Horse Section at Marsa.
We were also shown how the horses are groomed, bridled and saddled. It was obvious that there is great affection between man and horse and that they form partnerships together. The Police Section also looks after horses which have been retired due to old age, they are still exercised regularly and occasionally taken on short duty runs. We were told about the work of the horses on crowd control at football games, big crowd movements etc. Their most important functions are the ceremonial occasions when they escort the President and visiting dignitaries. For these important occasions, the police officers wear the same uniforms that were used by their predecessors from years past.
The swords that are seen hanging from the horses saddles are actually the horses’ own, not the police riders, since horses have the rank of Police Inspectors!
After the talk, we were given the opportunities to talk and feed the horses who were still in their stables, while five other horses were taken out to the training field. After cups of tea and coffee, we walked to the training field and watched the horses being taken around through obstacles and hurdles. We were then offered the chance to ride these horses, and the invitation was taken by several of our members. Barrie presented the Police Major in charge with a cheque of €100 which will be used only to buy feed for the horses. This was greatly appreciated by the Section, and the officer in charge thanked the Group for their generosity and complemented us on the attention we gave during the talk as well as the intelligent questions which we asked afterwards. A letter has been sent by the Group to the Commissioner of Police thanking the Horse Section for the welcome and attention we were given from all concerned. The coach then took us to the Melita Gardens, where we all enjoyed a lunch of our choice. Thank you Barrie for your great organisation!
Written by Vicky Rylance
