Riding high: Meet cowgirls of Chennai police’s mounted wing

The reason: they volunteered to be part of the branch, deceiving the common notion that it is not a woman’s job. One of the horses they maintain had even won a medal at the All-India Police Equestrian meet in 2020.

Two women cops Grade I constables M Jasmine and P Suganya  have been part of the branch for more than a decade and chose to stay back even when the rotational transfers were offered after every three years. The other three R Malavika, T Punitha and C Mahalakshmi  joined a year ago and they too love what they do and have developed a bond with the horses.

There are 26 male counterparts in the branch and their duty begins as early as 4.30 am. “We take the horses by walk to the Marina for a better experience of morning walkers before returning to the branch on Adithanar Salai around 9 am. Again, the duty resumes around 4 pm at the beach, but the focus is on warning visitors not to enter the waters, reaching out to those in need of help and looking for miscreants,” says constable Malavika, a native of Tiruchy.

Malavika, an athlete, says she opted for the mounted branch as she found horse riding a sport. Constable T Punitha, also from Tiruchy, willingly shifted to the mounted force from the AR wing. However, she was scared of horses for the first three months as it was difficult for her to handle them. But now, No 20 is her favourite horse, though everyone has to practise on different horses every day. Similarly, C Mahalakshmi, despite having a horse at home, was initially scared.

After the morning patrol, all the horses that went out are given a wash by the cops who sat on them. “There are dedicated caretakers but we lend a hand to develop a connection with the horses,” says P Suganya, as she mixes fodder. A Grade I constable, Suganya has completed a decade in the mounted branch. “Equestrian is an expensive sport and as a normal citizen, I can’t imagine training in horse riding. But we do it and participate in competitions. What more can I ask for,” says Suganya, a native of Coimbatore, who came second at a dressage event at the 38th All India Mounted Force Meet in 2020.

That was the first time Tamil Nadu police participated in the mounted force meet and Suganya says the credit goes to IPS officer Shekar Deshmukh. “Sir (Shekar Deshmukh) encouraged us to give our best and it was a proud moment to win medals,” says Suganya, who is now preparing for the 39th mounted force meet later this year.

Another Grade I constable M Jasmine, who has completed 10 years in the branch, says there is a myth among women cops that they will have difficulty in getting pregnant due to horse riding. “But I got married and delivered babies while with the mounted branch,” says Jasmine.