The Times and other news media outlets, are reporting on a worrying fresh case of army horses running through London, loose. You may remember the very troublesome and worrying incident about 9 weeks ago when Household Cavalry horses galloped through central London after they were spooked by noisy construction work causing four people to be injured and at least two of the horses quite badly injured but they made a full recovery. On that occasion the horses ran through London’s streets charging into a double-decker tour bus and a van.
On this occasion, three army horses bolted through central London yesterday. Three of the horses were among six horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. They were exercising under the supervision of five soldiers.
One of the horses was being led rather than ridden and it became loose after being spooked by a bus. This led to two riders being unseated from their horses and they also ran loose.
The three animals bolted from Seville Street to S. Eaton Pl where one of them was caught. The two other horses continued to run to Vauxhall Bridge before they, too, were stopped. Afterwards soldiers were seen calming the horses as traffic passed by.
The MoD confirmed that all three have been returned to Hyde Park Barracks and none of them were the horses that bolted about nine weeks ago.
A spokesperson said:
Whilst exercising this morning, three horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment became loose from their riders. They were swiftly and safely recovered. One horse received minor injuries but no further treatment is required and there were no injuries to the soldiers.
MOD
Two of the horses were collected and placed into a horse box.
Comment: This is the second time in recent history of army horses running dangerously loose in central London. Time for a rethink? On how the horses are handled when in public places? Looks that way as at the moment there have been no deaths but one might argue that a more serious outcome is waiting to happen.
