LONDON — Two military horses that escaped and ran for miles through London streets after being frightened by construction noise and shaking their riders were in serious condition Thursday after undergoing operations, a British government official said .
The animals were part of a group of four horses that broke free during routine exercises on Wednesday near Buckingham Palace and caused chaos as they galloped freely through central London during the morning rush hour. A fifth horse tried to run away but was unable to free itself.
“Three of them are OK, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and we will obviously be monitoring that condition,” Defense Minister James Cartlidge told Sky News. “They are in serious condition, but from what I understand, they are still alive.”
Three soldiers thrown from their mounts were hospitalized with injuries but are expected to make a full recovery and return to duty.
The British Army said three of the horses were expected to return to duty, but the fate of the two most seriously injured was unclear.
Neither reportedly suffered broken bones, but a horse named Quaker was transferred to an equine hospital for specialized care, an Army spokesman said.
Vida, a white horse seen drenched in blood as it galloped through Aldwych, between London’s historic financial center and the bustling West End theater district, was treated for lacerations.
“Vida was the most visibly injured and the photos of the horse running through London drenched in blood were horrific,” the army said in a statement.
The other free horses of the Household Cavalry, the monarch’s ceremonial guard and an element of state functions in London, are named Trojan and Tennyson.
During this wild spectacle captured by stunned commuters and shared on social media, the horses almost crossed paths with cyclists and a motorcyclist at a traffic light.
Vida ran alongside Trojan, a black horse who could be seen sideswiping a taxi as it headed into oncoming traffic after going through a red light at an intersection.
One of the animals broke the windows of a taxi it hit in front of the Clermont hotel and another broke the windshield when it hit a tourist bus.
Two of the horses were rounded up in Limehouse, about five miles from where they fled. All captured horses were returned to Hyde Park barracks.
Cartlidge said the Army trains with about 150 horses every day, so the incident was exceptionally rare.
“Unfortunately we saw what happened, but all I can say is the crucial thing… no serious injuries to the public that we are aware of, and of course we will keep an eye on the situation ” he told LBC. .
The horses were training for an upcoming military parade and were frightened by the noise of construction materials at a construction site in Belgravia, an upscale neighborhood just west of the palace, said Matt Woodward, commander of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. .
A day after the incident, more than 150 horses and nearly 200 participants took part in the regiment’s annual inspection at Hyde Park to demonstrate their preparation for summer pageantry, including Trooping the Color and state visits.
A small crowd gathered in the form of mounted riders, dressed in black, red and gold uniforms and wearing golden helmets, trotted to the beat of a marching band.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the black horse seen running with a bloody horse was named Trojan, not Quaker.
ABC News
