As part of a $100,000 upgrade, farriers go to the Mounted Police Unit’s horses to keep them on patrol.

“It’s a moving pit stop,” New York Police Department (NYPD) Deputy Commissioner Robert Martinez told CBS2.

The unit has two full-time farriers, Marcus Martinez and Thomas Nolan, who put new shoes on the horses every 2 to 3 weeks.

“Most other mounted units, when they’re in the field, they either have to take the horse away from the situation or they have to take the horse out of service,” says Martinez. “We can keep the horse going.”

Adds Officer Joseph Tomeo, “We’re really confident these guys are great at what they do. Top notch. They can get us right back out there. Back in the game.”

The NYPD has a fleet of 55 horses that serve a crucial role in keeping the city safe. The horses are more maneuverable and provide officers a better view in crowds.

“There are a lot of the times we have a 1,000-, 1,500-people street fairs, concerts, if something’s going on in the middle of the crowd and we need to get into that crowd to get somebody out or to bring other police officers in, we can open that crowd up within a short amount of time without causing anyone to get hurt,” says Deputy Commander Barry Gelbman.

According to CBS2, the horses were among the first to arrive when a car bomb went off at Times Square in 2010.

“It takes a special police horse to go out and be able to stand in traffic and deal with the lights and sirens, the pictures, people constantly petting them,” says Gelbman.