On Wednesday morning, chaos ensued in central London when seven horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry were on exercise near Hyde Park. The incident began when four soldiers were thrown from their horses and five horses broke free, startled by construction noise. Two of the horses managed to run through busy streets, narrowly avoiding traffic.
According to Defense Minister James Cartlidge, two of the five British Army horses that escaped are in serious condition. The minister confirmed that all five horses have been recovered, with three in good health and two in relatively serious condition, named Vida and Quaker. City of London police helped contain the loose horses while an Army horse box transported them for veterinary care.
While three unhorsed soldiers were taken to the hospital for checks, their lives were not at risk. The London Ambulance Service responded to reports of a person thrown from a horse in Buckingham Palace Road, where a Mercedes driver witnessed the commotion. He reported hearing something hit his car, seeing horses near the vehicle, and an army rider injured. One horse collided with a parked tour bus, shattering the windshield in the mayhem of the situation.
Army cavalry regiments with stables in London are a common sight around government buildings like Whitehall, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park. Cartlidge assured that incidents like this are unlikely to be repeated, emphasizing that the Army routinely exercises around 150 horses in central London every day. Despite the unexpected chaos caused by this incident