Situation beyond the eastern border

One of the elements of the operation codenamed “Strong Support” is horse patrols within the area of responsibility of the 2nd Lublin Territorial Defence Brigade. At first, the project implemented in the Lublin region was a horse packing project, which means that is was aimed at transporting ammunition and equipment within difficult-to-reach areas. Such projects are nothing new; horses are successfully used even by the largest armies in the world.

The swampy areas near the Bug river are a difficult terrain which vehicles (even quads, let alone other means of transport) are unable to handle. For this reason, it was decided to develop and test a project involving the use of horses in these conditions.

Given the nature of the ongoing operations, horses are perfect for the task. First, they are quiet: in a random area, they make it possible to move to any location in a virtually unnoticeable and inaudible manner, and also much faster than other military vehicles. In addition, the range of operations is not limited by fuel stations. Reaction to dangerous situations is another major point, as horses can often warn the rider or react before a human can notice the danger. Yet another important aspect is depth of observation: a soldier sitting on a horse has a decidedly better view of the surrounding area. Finally, it should also be noted that a horse is 500 kilograms generating a temperature of approx. 38 degrees, making it a natural heater for the rider.

The situation at the border has caused the project which was meant to end at horse packing to evolve and shown that it can be useful in its current variant.

Press Team of the Territorial Defence Forces