The State police on Monday said Venus, a horse in the State Mounted Unit, had died after its aorta ruptured. They had conducted an autopsy on the carcass after the mare collapsed in front of the Golf Club on Sunday while being ridden back to the police stables at Thycaud. Officials said Venus was one of the healthiest mounts in the police stable and heat and exhaustion could have caused the ‘heart attack.’ Veterinarians found its thoracic cavity ‘flooded with blood.’
City Police Commissioner P. Vijayan has ordered a team of veterinarians to screen the physical condition of all the 15 horses. He has directed that the horses be deployed for duty only after a full check-up.