Army horses receive surgery for serious injuries

by Mick the Ram

Following the shocking scenes in central London on Wednesday 24 April when Household Cavalry horses threw their riders and bolted resulting in several collisions, it has emerged that two of the animals were seriously injured and required surgery.

Seven horses in total were spooked by loud construction noise, with the two that were badly injured fleeing nearly 6 miles from the location of the incident.

Three soldiers and a cyclist were hospitalised and two of the servicemen remain under observation with their condition described as stable, the third was discharged. There was no information released on the cyclist.

A spokesperson said the two injured horses were operated on and one had subsequently been transferred to an equine hospital. One of them was the white horse which was disturbingly seen to be drenched in blood, although his condition did appear to be slightly more positive.

It was earlier confirmed that this particular horse, named Vida, has a history of being spooked, prompting questions as to why he was still being made to partake in activities he seemingly was uncomfortable with.

Thousands of animal lovers have signed a petition to get the two injured horses retired after they hopefully recover from their serious injuries.

Months of training

The horses of the Household Cavalry are expertly trained by the Army for many months and deliberately ridden on the streets of London to get them used to heavy traffic and desensitise them from loud noises, including gun salutes and military bands.

Very rare incident

Lt Col Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Mounted Regiment, said the unit exercise around 150 horses on roads and in parks every morning, but unfortunately after building materials were dropped from height right next to them on a quiet side road, it caused several to be spooked and the ensuing shock led to several bolting and unseating riders.

He thanked emergency services and the public for their help, adding: “Thankfully, considering the frequency of exercise and numbers of horses involved, this type of incident is extremely rare, we continue to strive to minimise the risk of this recurring.”

He reiterated a message they often put out to the public to refrain where possible, from making loud noises around our the horses.

All horses under observation after incident

A spokesperson for the Army said: “Of the seven horses which were spooked, five tried to bolt and four – Vida, Quaker (the most seriously injured), Trojan, and Tennyson – managed to brake loose.”

They added that the horses that did not have surgery spent the night under observation receiving the highest standards in care and would be assessed throughout the day, but they were expected to return to duty “in due course”.

With regards to Vida, the bloodied white horse, it is understood that he was the horse that caught a soldier on the head with a kick during the King’s Coronation last year. Usually Household Cavalry horses are black, however the regiment’s state trumpeters always ride white or grey horses, the role that Vida plays.

Sanctuary plea for injured horses

The petition that was quickly set up is continuing to see its numbers grow, with animal lovers predictably upset at the distressing images.

The Animal Rising group said: “These magnificent animals were so frightened that they ran through the streets of London, injuring both people and themselves. It is clear that these horses do not belong in the army, and they deserve a better life.”

They called for the horses to be taken to a sanctuary where they would be able to live out the rest of their lives in peace