Putin rode a brown horse flanked by female officers on white horses at a training facility in Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday cantered on horseback with female police officers ahead of International Women's Day, images published by state media showed.

The head of state likes to project an active image and in the past has been photographed riding a horse bare-chested in Siberia, underwater diving and playing his favourite sport, Judo.

In jeans and a jacket with a fur-trimmed collar, Putin rode a brown horse flanked by female officers on white horses at a training facility in Moscow.

After the photo-op, Putin gave officers a horse called "Golden Ray", according to Russian news agencies.

International Women's Day on March 8 is a major public holiday in Russia, but it is celebrated by giving women flowers and gifts rather than promoting equal rights.

In a speech to mark the event last year, Putin said: "We know that a woman's heart is the most loyal and that her forgiveness is the most precious thing".