A group of horsemen search for troublemakers who may have taken refuge in the
desert. The horses carry the police symbol, and the horsemen wear kanduras and
traditional headgear is wrapped around their foreheads to protect them from
unpredictable weather. The horsemen are part of the police patrol, and they
monitor areas hard to reach by cars. Armed with mobile phones and
walkie-talkies, they do their rounds quietly, and they often stand close to
farms and camps. People bother the horses and that's why the horsemen trained
them against noisy sounds. There are 10 horsemen specialists and most of them
are from India; they go out in groups of six or eight and patrol at least six
kms in the desert. They take a break during summer and increase patrols in
winter and school breaks time when usually there are young people who cause
trouble. The horsemen assist police in fugitive-related incidents. Al Awafi is
often the focus of patrols; they run 6 hours and sometimes more. Each pair
works four hours to avoid tiring out the horses. Before returning to the
stables the horsemen whistle to calm the horses to relieve themselves.
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