WATERLOO REGION — Police on horses will no longer be part of the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

The police board approved the move Wednesday to get rid of mounted patrols on April 1, saving the service $27,000 a year.

Chief Matt Torigian said the program was successful with police interacting with people at community events and in the downtown core areas. But when budgets are tight, officers are better deployed on the front lines.

"It was a great presence," he said. "But until we have more resources, it is the right thing to do to stand it down."

The mounted police unit started as a two-year pilot project in April 2010 with two full-time officers and one part-time officer, along with two horses.

Last October, the unit was decreased from two full-time officers to one.

Torigian said the mounted unit may be resurrected at another time, but for now the horses will be sold.

Police originally started the mounted unit to improve visibility in neighbourhoods, foster good relations with youth and improve community safety.

The officers and the horses were often seen at large gatherings such as the Blues Festival in Kitchener, the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, as well as patrolling parks and the Iron Horse Trail.

Shannon Weber, executive director of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association, said for many of the businesses in the city core, officers on foot are preferred.

"It is our preference to have the traditional beat officer," she said.

Weber said it was nice to see the horses on city streets, but officers on foot and on bicycles are better able to interact with business owners and their customers.

lmonteiro@therecord.com ; Twitter: @MonteiroRecord