Several runaway military horses galloped through the streets of London on Wednesday morning, alarming pedestrians, sweeping away cars and buses and transforming an ordinary rush hour into a frightening, almost surreal spectacle.
A person was treated for injuries after being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road, according to the London Ambulance Service. Media reports said the horses belonged to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, a ceremonial unit that parades in royal pageants.
The ambulance service later said at least five people were injured at three locations, from Victoria to Belgrave Square and Fleet Street. At 10:30 a.m., the Metropolitan Police announced that all the horses had been recovered.
The drama began shortly after 8 a.m., when the horses apparently became frightened and shook the riders exercising them as they left their barracks in Hyde Park. Photos showed a soldier being treated as he lay on the ground not far from Buckingham Palace.
Shortly before 10 a.m., City of London Police reported that their officers had rounded up two of the horses near Limehouse, an area adjacent to the Thames docks. This suggested they had galloped across much of London, from Westminster to Covent Garden and the financial district.
“We are waiting for an army van to collect the horses and transport them to the veterinarian,” the city police said in a statement.
An Army spokesperson later said The Daily Telegraph reported that the horses had been recovered and returned to their camp. “A number of staff and horses were injured and received appropriate medical treatment,” the spokesperson said.
Video footage showed two riderless horses – including a white one spattered with what appeared to be blood on its neck, chest and forelimbs – galloping in Aldwych, a stately area south of Covent Garden. Their hooves echoed between the tall stone buildings as pedestrians scattered, cars honked, and double-decker buses abruptly stopped.
The white horse, wearing a saddle and stirrups, was later filmed galloping near Tower Bridge. Other photos showed a double-decker tour bus with a shattered windshield and a gray van with a dented door and broken window.
As the incident unfolded, the Metropolitan Police said: “We are aware of a number of horses currently at large in central London and are working with colleagues, including the Army, to locate them. » Police did not provide details on where the horses came from, but the military identified them as belonging to the Household Cavalry.
The Household Cavalry – made up of the British Army’s two most senior units, the Life Guards and the Blues & Royals – is a familiar sight at royal pageants, from the coronation of King Charles III last May to his mother’s state funeral , Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
His horses are trained to be comfortable on busy streets and around people.
Tourists often pose for photos in front of the horses as they stand guard outside Horseguards Parade, a ceremonial parade ground in Whitehall, north of 10 Downing Street. The soldiers who ride them only occasionally reprimand visitors who come too close or disturb the animals.
