Police horses are becoming a familiar sight across the West Midlands again after the force reinstated its mounted unit.

The unit returned in December and has already been deployed on neighbourhood patrols, at major sporting events, protests and community events across the region.

Mounted officers have recently patrolled Stourbridge town centre, Selly Oak and Handsworth, working alongside neighbourhood policing teams to provide reassurance and engage with residents.

Police horses deployed at football matches

The mounted unit has also been used to help police major football fixtures.

Horses and riders were deployed for the match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion, where they worked alongside mounted officers from Thames Valley Police.

The West Midlands team has also crossed force boundaries to support Staffordshire Police during a protest in Tamworth.

From community patrols to passing-out parade

The horses proved popular during a community open day in South Yardley, where they also came face-to-face with some of West Midlands Police‘s newest police dogs undergoing training.

There was a more ceremonial assignment at Tally Ho, where the horses took part in a passing-out ceremony alongside the force’s newest police officers.

West Midlands Police said the “vast majority” of interactions between members of the public, its horses and mounted officers have been positive.

However, the force has reminded people that mounted officers should only be touched in an emergency following several recent incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

With deployments ranging from neighbourhood reassurance patrols and community engagement to football matches, protests and ceremonial duties, the reinstated mounted unit is already being used across a wide range of policing operations.