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South Wales Police have had a mounted section since 1993, and have eight horses in force.

Rachel met sergeant Tina Baxter, who told her that the role of a mounted officer can vary enormously - from completing military parades with the Welsh Guards to visiting schools.

Rachel also met PC Bethan Jones, one of the eight full-time officers in the mounted section. She helps to train the police horses and says that size and strength of the animal is important, as is the temperament of each horse.

Basic training exercises for the horses include getting the animals used to obstacles and items they may encounter while on patrol. This ranges from rugby fans waving flags, and roadside obstacles such as plastic cones and barriers. Horses are also trained to walk on the various surfaces they may encounter when on duty.

Rachel also witnessed public order training, in which the police officers simulate crowd scenes that the horses may encounter when on patrol at a major event.

Inspector Mark Hobrough, who heads up the mounted section, believes it is an invaluable resource. He told Rachel: "In a public disorder scenario, one police horse would probably equate to 21 officers on foot, in relation to the amount of ground that they can cover and the use of them with regards to cordening-off different sections of people."

Rachel joined PCs Jones and Lewis in the centre of Cardiff on the final Saturday of the 2010 Six Nations, in which Wales took on Italy at the Millennium Stadium. Duties for the mounted police included escorting the Italian team from their hotel to the stadium, and meeting the thousands of rugby revellers in the street.

Watch our exclusive clip to find out how the horses are recruited and what happens when they retire.