The only mounted police in Finland operate in Helsinki

The home stables of police horses are located in Ruskeasuo in Helsinki. The mounted police are a part of the Helsinki Police Department.

The hoofed officers are tasked with monitoring peace and public order in the city. Police horses are a common sight in the city especially during the summer, but they work all year round. 

A typical workday of a police horse often includes patrolling in the city or maintaining public order at large public events. The mounted police have many kinds of ceremonial tasks, and they may also have duties in other parts of Finland where the horses are transported, if necessary. The mounted police are also an excellent tool for crowd control.

In addition to their actual police duties, the mounted police and their horses train regularly. There may be horns blowing or large flags flying in the training field when the horses practice encountering different situations and loud noises. Crowd control and the related equipment is also a common theme in training. 

Large horses are visible and they calm people down

Due to their large size, police horses can easily be seen in a crowd, which is also good for calming down situations in crowds. In fact, a hoofed officer should be taller than 170 centimetres at the withers. From high up, it is also easy for the mounted constable to observe the environment. 

Other important characteristics of a police horse include courage, a calm nature and good health. Just like human police officers, the horses are not bothered even by loud noises or milling crowds, and they have an unbeatable sense of humour and fun. The horses are especially inventive when they have the chance to go to the stables to eat. 

The mounted police unit was established in 1882, and it is the oldest unit in operation. Today, there are ten horses at the stables with nine constables working as mounted police officers.