The two British Army horses that escaped and ran wild in the center of London yesterday are in serious condition, according to Defense Minister James Cartlidge. The minister confirmed that all five horses have been recovered, with three in good health and two in relatively serious condition, named Vida and Quaker.
On Wednesday morning, chaos ensued when seven horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry were on exercise in Belgravia, near Hyde Park. Four soldiers were thrown from their horses and five horses broke free, startled by construction noise. Two horses ran through busy streets, narrowly avoiding traffic.
While three unhorsed soldiers were taken to the hospital for checks, their lives were not at risk. Army cavalry regiments with stables in London are a common sight around government buildings like Whitehall, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park. Cartlidge assured that incidents like this are unlikely to be repeated, emphasizing that the Army routinely exercises around 150 horses in central London every day. Despite the unexpected chaos, City of London police helped contain the loose horses while an Army horse box transported them for veterinary care.
The London Ambulance Service responded to reports of a person thrown from a horse in Buckingham Palace Road, where a Mercedes driver witnessed the commotion. He reported hearing something hit his car, seeing horses near the vehicle, and an army rider injured. One horse collided with a parked tour bus, shattering the windshield in the mayhem of the situation.