Desert Horsemen

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.

195 words