The San Diego mounted police unit is being disbanded and the horses sold due to budget deficits, according to an article by Helen Gao at signonsandiego.com.

The mounted unit was formed in 1983 to patrol 1,200-acre Balboa Park following a celebrity murder in the park. Since that time the mounted unit has taken on many other duties at a variety of locations, including "gang suppression in southeastern San Diego and to provide extra security at the beaches and shopping malls during the holidays," according to the article.

In January all eight mounted police horses and most of the equipment will be auctioned off.