A major charity has offered to rescue injured Household Cavalry horses that escaped on Wednesday if they are unable to return to military service.
Vida and Quaker, two of the five horses that ran frantically through London, are said to be “seriously injured.”
The horses were spooked as they passed Wilton Crescent in Belgravia at 8.40am on Wednesday after hearing a loud noise of concrete falling to the ground.
Five people, including three soldiers on horseback, were injured in three separate incidents during the six-mile rampage that lasted two hours.
Vida, the blood-soaked gray seen running down Fleet Street with Trojan, underwent surgery for injuries consistent with “serious lacerations” and is now recovering at Hyde Park Barracks.
Vida was seen galloping through the streets of London in terrifying scenes on Wednesday morning.
Vida (white horse) and Trojan (black horse) on their rampage through London after being “scared by builders moving rubble” are in “serious condition”
A military source told The Sun that things are not “looking good” for the Quaker dark horse.
While the MoD has not provided an update on whether they will return to service, the UK’s oldest horse charity, the Horse Trust, has offered them shelter if they are unable to do so.
The Horse Trust was established in 1886 by Miss Ann Lindo, who was inspired by the story of Black Beauty.
Initially the charity took in retired horses that were used as overworked taxi horses in London.
speaking to The independentDirector of Fundraising and Communications Jessica Tallman said: “If the decision were made not to return to work, we would always welcome them into the care of our charity.”
“The Horse Trust are experts in research and care of service horses, and we have many retired military horses residing at our sanctuary.”
In 2021, The Horse Trust took in a retired cavalry horse called Empress, born in June 1999 and who stopped training in June 2004.
The final two horses were eventually captured outside the Glamis Estate in Limehouse.
Tennyson was the horse that crashed into a double-decker bus and broke its windshield
She was a great favorite among soldiers and horsemen and took part in some of the country’s most notable events, including the Royal Weddings.
Most military work horses retire to loving, carefully selected families or farms and enjoy their new life as hunter or cutting ponies.
Additionally, they sometimes live out their days in peace with former soldiers with whom they forged a powerful bond.
Captain Skip Nicholls, Riding Master of the Royal Cavalry Mounted Regiment, explained: ‘Most military workhorses will have a career of eighteen years.
“It’s not heavy work, but they have to carry a lot of weight in all the ceremonial uniforms, and we will never work a horse to the point where it can’t continue to perform at peak performance.”
‘We want them to retire with some quality of life so that they can enjoy a happy retirement of five to ten years in a nice house.
‘The Horse Trust receives about twenty-five horses a year from the police and army.
‘They take our eldest, our boldest and those most dear to our hearts.
‘The Horse Trust is fantastic – we would love for them to buy more fields so they can house more animals, but unfortunately it comes down to acreage. “They will not compromise on standards.”
The Horse Trust receives around twenty-five horses a year from the police and army. The Princess Royal announces that the home was renamed The Horse Trust in 2006
The Horse Trust was established in 1886 by Miss Ann Lindo, who was inspired by the story of Black Beauty.
Pictured are two of the three surviving horses from the Hyde Park and Regent’s Park attacks at the sanctuary.
During World War II, the Rest House becomes a wartime horse hospital, housing animals injured in air raids.
The Army has a database of all its horses and when it’s time to retire, people can bid to buy a horse.
The prospective owner is checked to ensure that their property is safe, sanitary, and that the animal is guaranteed good care for life.
But there aren’t private homes for all horses, and that’s where the charity comes in.
Jeanette Allen, chief executive of the Horse Trust, said: “Today, working horses are the equine equivalent of the civil servant.
‘Seventy-five percent come from government jobs, working with the police or military and being owned by the state.
‘But unlike civil servants, they do not receive a pension when they retire, so we take a step forward and offer these extraordinary animals the retirement they deserve.
“It’s like the Royal Hospital Chelsea for army horses.”
The Army has a database of all its horses and when it’s time to retire, people can bid to buy a horse. The Horse Trust during the COVID crisis in 2021
Horses recovering at the Horse Trust. The charity is highly regarded for its care of animals.
The military named four animals that escaped Wednesday as Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson.
At least two of the horses that needed surgery may never return to active duty.
They are said to be in serious condition, a minister said.
Defense Minister James Cartlidge told Sky News: “There were five horses. They have all been recovered.
‘Three of them are fine, two of them unfortunately are in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition.
Pictured in 1908, the new Horse Trust center at Westcroft Farm, Cricklewood.
“They are in serious condition, but, as I understand it, they are still alive.”
Senior army officers told MailOnline that military vets gave the horses the best possible treatment, which saved their lives.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: “Rest assured: if they had not been military horses, their chances of survival would have been significantly reduced.”
An Army spokesperson told MailOnline: “We hope both horses recover.” Whether they will recover enough to return to official duties, it is too early to know for sure.
“But they have been given the best veterinary treatment possible and if they had not been attached to the army, I don’t think they would have made it this far.”
‘Vida was the most visibly injured and the images of the horse running through London soaked in blood were horrifying. Vida underwent surgery overnight and is currently in the stables at Hyde Park Barracks under observation.
‘Quaker is the most seriously injured and also underwent surgery overnight, but it was decided to transfer the horse to an equine hospital first thing in the morning.
“The extent of the injuries is not entirely clear, but we do not believe that there are any broken bones at this time. The wounds correspond to serious lacerations.