Military horses passing through London in critical condition after scare

LONDON (AP) — Two military horses that galloped for miles through the streets of London are in critical condition after being spooked by construction noise and throwing off their riders, a British government official said Thursday. A British government official gave this information on Thursday.

The animals were among a group of four horses who broke loose during routine exercise near Buckingham Palace on Wednesday and caused chaos by galloping through central London during the morning rush hour. The fifth horse that tried to jump did not succeed in freeing itself.

British forces deployed to Axe, two horses were operated on and one transferred to the horse hospital.

“Three of them are OK, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we’ll keep an eye on that situation,” Defense Minister James Cartlidge told Sky News. “His condition is serious, but as I understand, he is still alive.”

Three soldiers who were thrown from their horses were hospitalized with injuries, but were expected to make a full recovery and return to duty.

The loose horses of the Household Cavalry, the monarch’s ceremonial guard and a feature of state ceremonies in London, were named Vida, Quaker, Trojan and Tennyson.

Cartlidge identified Vida as the white horse seen covered in blood galloping at the Aldwych, between London’s historic financial center and the busy West End theater district.

Vida ran with a black horse named Quaker, who could be seen cornering a taxi turning into oncoming traffic after running through a red light at an intersection.

The horses almost collided with cyclists and a motorcyclist at traffic lights during the wild spectacle captured by stunned passers-by and shared on social media.

Witnesses saw an animal collide with a taxi outside the Clermont Hotel, causing windows to shatter. Another hit a tour bus, shattering the windshield.

Two horses were trapped at Limehouse, about 5 miles (8 kilometres) from where they were trapped. All the captured horses were taken back to the barracks in Hyde Park.

Cartlidge said the Army trains with about 150 horses every day, so this incident was exceptionally rare.

He told LBC: “Unfortunately we saw what happened, but all I can say is that the important thing is… as far as we are aware, there have been no serious injuries to the public and certainly We will keep an eye on the situation.” ,

Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, said the horses were training for an upcoming military parade and were spooked by the sound of building materials hitting a work site in Belgravia, an attractive area just west of the palace. ,

The day after the event, over 150 horses and around 200 participants took part in the regiment’s annual vigil in Hyde Park to demonstrate preparations for the summer pageantry including Trooping the Color and state visits.

A small crowd gathered as the horsemen, dressed in black, red and gold uniforms with golden helmets, marched to the tune of a brass band.