The Madhya Pradesh police's horse squad will not participate in today's Independence Day Parade here due to an outbreak of glanders, a senior official said yesterday. Glanders is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium burkholderia mallei and primarily affects horses, donkeys and mules.

The police's horse contingent traditionally has been a big draw with children who throng in large numbers along with their parents to watch the parade on August 15, officials said. Deputy Inspector General Deepak Verma of the Special Armed Force told PTI today that, following a notification by the state government, the horses would not be taking part in the parade.