This is the shocking moment an American tourist called for help after being bitten by a King’s Guard horse.
The images show the tourist shouting ‘Oh! Oh! Help me, he has my arm’ after the horse grabbed me and refused to let go.
Neither the King’s Horse Guard nor any soldiers at his side stepped forward to intervene, and other visitors eventually came to his aid. They can be seen gently stroking the animal’s nose before it releases it.
It is not known when the incident occurred, but the images were posted online two weeks ago. At the same time, another video emerged showing a woman stumbling backwards after being bitten and went viral.
Although many consider them tourist attractions, the King’s Guard is made up of elite soldiers who are tasked with protecting the life and property of the monarch.
The American tourist screams in pain when the Royal Guard horse bites her arm (pictured)
Other tourists manage to help free the woman from the horse’s clutches (pictured)
They are generally not allowed to interact with the public, but may shout if they get too close or present their bayonets if they become aggressive.
Soldiers must not allow anything to distract them from their duties (bathroom breaks are prohibited during two-hour shifts) and will cut through anyone who gets in their way.
While tourists can take photos of them, armed officers stationed near them will intervene if they get too close or behave disrespectfully.
A sign next to the guard warns spectators that the horses may kick or bite, telling them not to touch the reins.
In footage released yesterday, a horse grabbed a woman’s sari after she put her hand on its neck while posing for a photograph.
She stumbles back in shock after being bitten and almost falls, but stabilizes herself by placing her hands on a stone wall behind her.
The video went viral yesterday on social media and garnered more than 800,000 views.
Earlier this year, a tourist who went looking for a photo with one of the famous guards got much more than she bargained for when he bit her jacket and wouldn’t let go.
In a video clip, the young woman is seen positioned in line with the horse’s head, ready for her photo opportunity.
While a sign next to the guard warns onlookers that horses may kick or bite, the woman cannot resist raising her hand in an attempt to pet the animal when it bends its head to pet her.
However, as he does so, the horse bites the arm of his black padded jacket and soon pulls on him in an increasingly aggressive manner.
In one incident, when a woman went to pet the horse’s face, it bit the arm of her jacket. Refusing to let go, she tugged at the jacket and pushed it back and forth, up and down before finally releasing it.
The tourist is seen trying to get away from the horse after it squeezed her jacket, but to no avail.
Even when the woman tries to move away from the horse, it remains attached to her jacket and, moving its head from side to side and up and down, pulls it back and forth vigorously.
Although the woman showed signs of fear on her face, she seemed more surprised and bewildered by the experience than shocked.
When the horse lets go of her jacket after about five seconds of pulling, she looks noticeably relieved before starting to laugh.
In September 2023, another tourist got too close to a King’s Guard horse and was shot by the soldier.
In the video, a crowd of tourists can be seen clamoring around a mounted guard at the Horse Guards parade, Westminster.
Several nervous tourists are seen approaching the mounted couple, respecting their distance and posing for smiling photographs.
In another video, a man was seen touching the reins of one of the horses.
This caused the King’s Guard to shout, “Don’t touch the reins!”
Some brave souls are seen placing tentative hands on the flanks of the enormous horse, which the mounted guard graciously allows.
However, one tourist overstepped the limit and, in the process of trying to touch the horse, tampered with the reins, causing the King’s Guard to bellow, “Don’t touch the reins!”
Clearly in shock, the tourist walks away from the horse, raising a hand in apology as he does so while the crowd chatters nervously.
More recently, in March, Home Secretary James Cleverly alleged that “disruptive” tourists were accosted by a police officer after they accosted a king’s guard.
They were given short shrift and told that the guard “is not an object of ridicule.”
In March, Home Secretary James Cleverly backed an armed police officer who berated tourists for “ridiculing” an on-duty king’s guard.
Armed police told tourists the King’s guard ‘is not an object of ridicule’
In another incident recorded last year, footage showed a woman lashing out at a king’s guard for “pushing” her out of the way while carrying out her duties.
The incident, which went viral on TikTok, shows the blonde woman getting in the guard’s way at Horse Guards Parade.
The woman, who was holding a blue can of Pringles, was seen standing very close to one of the mounted guards, while other bystanders gave the guards more space by standing further away.
Even though the king’s foot guard asked the woman to step back when she first passed by to greet her fellow guards, she moved even closer to the agitated horse of the mounted guard.
When the guard who had previously warned him returned to the doors, the woman stood in his way.
He shouted ‘make way’ and used his arm to push the woman out of his way, leaving her furious.
He shouted ‘make way’ and used his arm to push the woman out of his way, leaving her furious. She shoved her can of Pringles at him and turned to the crowd asking if they had seen what happened, only for another onlooker to respond: “He asked you to move and you didn’t.”
The incident, which went viral on TikTok, shows the blonde woman getting in the guard’s way at Horse Guards Parade. The woman, who was holding a blue can of Pringles, was seen standing very close to one of the mounted guards, while other bystanders gave the guards more space by standing further away.
He pushed his can of Pringles at the guard and turned to the crowd asking if they had seen what happened, only for another onlooker to respond: “He asked you to move and you didn’t.”
In another incident, a large group is seen laughing at the King’s guard on foot.
Two armed officers intervene to ask the tourists to stop while the man recording the video praises the police officers, saying “well done, officer” and “that’s it, kick them all out.”
A large group of tourists was caught on camera ‘laughing’ at the foot of the King’s guard
And he adds: “This is what happens when you disrespect the soldiers here, who are at work, and treat them as if they were a group of clowns who are here for entertainment.”
The group then walks away from the scene.
But not all incidents end with a slap on the wrist or a near bite.
An elderly military veteran enjoyed the friendlier side of a member of the King’s Guard in 2022 when the soldier approached her as she posed for a photo with her husband.
An elderly military veteran was treated to the friendlier side of a member of the King’s Guard when the soldier approached her and allowed the woman to pet his horse’s nose.
A video posted on social media showed the pair, both proudly displaying their medals, getting as close as they could to the mounted soldier.
But, apparently realizing that they had both served their country, the soldier, who was wearing his usual feathered helmet and armor, quickly brought his horse closer to them before allowing the woman to pet his steed’s nose.
Smiling, the pair walked away and the soldier led his horse back into position.
