A group of four UK military horses had a heyday and broke loose during routine exercises near Buckingham Palace, causing chaos as they galloped across London, which unfortunately resulted in two of them getting injured.
The horses initially escaped after getting startled by construction noises, causing them to toss their riders and run miles through the streets of the city during the morning rush hour. A fifth horse also tried to break free but was restrained.
On Thursday, a UK official reported that two of the creatures were in serious condition after undergoing operations. One was transferred to an equine hospital, according to a post by the British Army on X.
The stallions that broke loose from the Household Cavalry, the ceremonial guard of the monarch and a feature of state functions in London, were named Vida, Quaker, Trojan, and Tennyson.
Three soldiers thrown from their steeds were also hospitalized with injuries, but were expected to fully recover and return to their duties.
UPDATE: A British government official said the two military horses that bolted and ran through the streets of London are in serious condition after undergoing operations. pic.twitter.com/0PrEgn0r8W
— DW News (@dwnews) April 25, 2024
As the incident ensued, commuters captured the chaos on their phones and shared it on social media, while the horses almost collided with cyclists and a rider on a motorbike at a traffic light.
Witnesses reported they saw one of the horses crash into a taxi outside the Clermont Hotel, shattering windows. Another slammed into a tour bus, breaking the windshield.
James Cartlidge, a defense minister, identified Vida as the white horse seen drenched in blood as it galloped down Aldwych, in between London’s historic financial center and the busy West End theater district. Alongside Vida was Quaker, who was seen sideswiping a taxi as they ran into oncoming traffic after galloping through a red light at an intersection.
Two of the horses were corralled at Limehouse about 5 miles from where they initially ran. All of the captured horses were taken back to barracks in Hyde Park.
In response to the incident, several animal rights organizations, including PETA, have spoken out against keeping horses in captivity, arguing the animals have no place in military roles anymore.
“Images of blood-soaked horses running, scared, through the streets should serve as a stark reminder that animals are not military equipment and that it’s high time the Ministry of Defence put its use of sentient beings out to pasture,” PETA’s Vice President of Programs, Elisa Allen, reported to Euronews Green.
