Pegov said that the training includes absolute beginners as well as experienced horsemen – and it’s not just the riders who are being trained. He said that training exercises include exposing the mounts to gunfire and explosions – to ensure that the horses do not panic when faced with live firing on the battlefield. While obedient and calm when waiting to deploy, once the attack starts it charges forward without fear once the bullets start to fly, he said. This solution is not as radical as it first appears, it has parallels elsewhere: Poland uses horseback patrols in the swamps along its border with Belarus. Several countries, including Germany, China and the US, utilize mounted units to patrol, carry out reconnaissance, or for the deployment of special operations troops in remote or rugged areas.