A Royal Household Cavalry soldier averted a crisis on Monday by skillfully controlling a panicked horse that had been spooked by nearby artillery fire marking the second anniversary of King Charles’s accession to the throne.
The mounted soldier, a member of The Blues and Royals (formerly The Royal Horse Guards), managed to get his horse back into line when it stopped before veering to the left following the shooting in Hyde Park.
As the procession approached Apsley Gate of the park, the wayward horse had been returned to formation, to the relief of the soldier and spectators.
A 41-gun salute took place in Hyde Park at midday on Monday 9 September, two years after King Charles acceded to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September 2022.
The soldier’s ability to remain calm and in control of his horse prevented a repeat of the terrifying scene that unfolded on April 24, when five horses from the Household Cavalry rampaged through central London after becoming frightened.
A panicked horse was seen today veering to the left, frightened by the firing of salutes nearby, to mark the second anniversary of King Charles’ accession to the throne.
The horse broke out of formation and seemed to be heading toward the source of the noise.
Responding to the April incident, a British Army spokesperson confirmed that the animals “were frightened by construction work” when building materials “fell from a height.”
Six soldiers and seven horses of the Royal Guard were on an extended Watering Order, an exercise to maintain the physical condition of animals not involved in the public-facing duties of the Royal Guard.
But the animals became spooked during the exercise and fled through the town, leaving five people, including three of the soldiers on horseback, injured in three separate incidents during the six-mile attack that lasted two hours.
Onlookers said one of the Household Cavalry soldiers was left “screaming in pain” after being thrown from his horse when it collided with a car near the Clermont Hotel on Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.
They were eventually caught in Limehouse, east London. Several officers held him at the side of the road and the white horse began bleeding on the road. Vets treated him at the scene.
The injured horses were seen by a veterinarian and all the animals were returned to the army camp.
All the horses were captured and accounted for by 10.30am, the Metropolitan Police said.
Images of two horses trapped outside Gordon House on the Glamis Estate in Limehouse, east London, appeared to show the white horse had broken a leg.
The mounted soldier remained calm as he attempted to regain control of the frightened horse and get it back in line.
For a moment, it looked as if the horse would wander away from the procession.
Still soaked in blood, the horse’s left hind leg was bandaged and the animal seemed unwilling to walk on it.
Police worked with soldiers to restrain the horses before transferring them to an army horse trailer.
The animals were reportedly calm and still when police caught up with them.
Held on the side of the road by several officers, the white horse bled all over the road and was treated by veterinarians at the scene.
Footage shows the animal bleeding profusely from its hind leg as police gathered around to stem the flow.
Builder Tom Cahill watched as the army collected the horses at around 9.30am.
He said: ‘The horses had stopped and the police caught up with them.
‘It looked like the white horse had broken a leg.
The mounted soldier remained calm as he attempted to bring his horse back into line.
‘At first there were only a few policemen, but then they called in the army.
‘After they took the horses, they tried to clean up all the blood, but they didn’t have enough water.
There was so much blood that they had to call the fire department to clean it up.
‘At first there were only a few policemen, but then they called in the army.
‘After they took the horses, they tried to clean up all the blood, but they didn’t have enough water: there was too much blood.
“They asked us for it, but we didn’t have it, so they had to call the fire department.”
Many Gordon House residents saw the commotion as they left to take their children to school.
Others had no idea the horses had been recovered so close by. “He looked familiar to me from the videos!” said one man.
Junaid Ahmed said he watched the scene from his bedroom window. He said: “It was very sad. I have pets and seeing all that blood dripping on the street… I just hope he is okay.”
By the time the procession reached Apsley Gate in Hyde Park, the horse was back in formation.
“I even saw some police officers crying while treating the horse.”
Builders are believed to have been using a concrete dolly as the horses passed through Wilton Crescent in Belgravia at 8.40am.
Some of the concrete broke loose and hit the ground, causing a loud bang that frightened the horses and caused five of them to run away.
Four soldiers were shot down and three were wounded and taken to hospital. None of them are in a life-threatening condition.
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