NYPD Mounted Unit Headquarters Moves To Manhattan's West Side

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- One of the NYPD's counterterrorism tools is a throw-back to a simpler time.

The NYPD's Mounted Unit dates back to the pre-Civil War era, but the so-called "Ten Foot" cops are very useful in today's age, said commanding officers Deputy Inspector Barry Gelbman, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.

"You can see great distances. We can direct people if they're running toward us; we can tell them to turn and go the other way and we can give commanders on the ground information without looking into a camera to see what's going on a block or two away," he said.

The unit recently moved into the ground floor of a luxury building on Manhattan's West Side. The new stables were dedicated this week.

"There's 24-hour day car. They get six feedings a day. They're fed every four hours," Gelbman said of the horses.

The stables are the same ones used by the queen of England, Diamond reported.

Officials said an HVAC unit and special CO compactors help minimize the horse small.