HUMBERSIDE Police's mounted section is being scrapped to save money.
Chief Constable Tim Hollis said the decision to disband the unit, made up of six horses, will save £500,000 a year.
The horses, based at Walkington, are used for public-order policing at football matches, protests and large events.
The force needs to save £11m over the next five years after the Government cut its budget by 20 per cent.
Mr Hollis said: "I have made this decision with a note of sadness, but we are in a period when sentiment hits austerity and hard decisions must be made.
"The budget is under huge pressure and that is only going to get harder, so decisions like this are inevitable.
"I realise the public and many officers, both serving and retired, will regret the loss of a mounted section, which has been an integral part of policing across Humberside for so many years.
"I have spoken with the police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove and he fully understands, but he does share my sadness and knows the public will be disappointed."
After the unit is disbanded in March next year, police will hire horses from other forces for large events.
The horses in the unit could be relocated to other police forces or retired. Mr Hollis said only a quarter of police forces retain a mounted section.
Mr Hollis said: "We will still buy horses in for high-risk football matches and events such as Hull Fair, but what we will miss are the hearts and minds patrols when they are out and about in Bridlington. The public do like to see the horses.
"However, it is simply not justifiable to maintain the unit 365 days of the year when we can buy in mounted officers on those few occasions when they are an operational necessity."
Mr Hollis met with the six police officers and three staff working within the unit to inform them of his decision.
Although the officers will be moved to work in other areas of the force, the stablehands are likely to lose their jobs.
"It is sad for them because they are very proud and very committed, but I explained our financial position and the decision I have made," said Mr Hollis.
"They have known we were reviewing the section and that has been deeply unsettling, so now they can have some certainty.
"The police officers will be redeployed, but there will be limited opportunities to redeploy staff like grooms, and they understand that."
Mr Hollis said he wanted to make a decision on the future of the section before he retires next month.
"This has been something we have been looking at hard for months and I felt it would have been grossly unfair to leave this decision to my successor. It is unambiguously my decision.
"We have to make significant savings and £2m over four years is a significant sum of money. Given those savings, it is hard to justify maintaining this section."
Another option being considered was a regional mounted section, with other Yorkshire forces.
However, Mr Hollis said the plans "didn't make sense" for Humberside.
The stables at Walkington, where the horses are based, will be sold after the unit is disbanded, with the funds made available to the police and crime commissioner.
Police dogs, which are currently based at the same site, will be relocated.
