- Household Cavalry horses bolted amid city exercise, causing chaos
- Startled by construction noise, horses charged through London streets
- Riders unseated, horses fled; injuries reported, animals under care
According to the commanding officer, the horses were “terrified by construction materials that were dropped from heights directly in front of them on a quiet side road in Belgravia.”
The “total mayhem” was sparked when military horses bolted during exercises and charged through rush-hour London.
According to the Household Cavalry, the animals were startled by construction workers “right next to them” who were lowering debris from a height.
On Wednesday morning, while the horses were performing “routine exercise” in the Belgravia region, the incident occurred.
When pandemonium ensued, seven horses and six Household Cavalry soldiers were participating in an exercise.
Four members of the military were ejected, and five horses became untethered; two of them were captured on camera galloping through the streets.
After colliding with a taxi, a white horse was observed covered in blood, and another animal shattered the windscreen of a stationary tour bus.
Five miles from where they fled, the pair was apprehended by police near Limehouse and taken to be examined by army medics.
London Ambulance Service reported that four individuals were transported to the hospital following three incidents that occurred at the intersection of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, Buckingham Palace Road, and Belgrave Square.
It is understood that three members of the Household Cavalry were evaluated in the hospital, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
The white horse’s front became “saturated with rich red” as documented by photographer Jordan Pettitt as the horses pursued Aldwych.
Despite it being rush hour, he reported that the street had become “completely silent,” creating a “eerie” atmosphere.
Mr. Pettitt further stated, “It was an extremely surreal moment; neither I nor anyone else in London would have anticipated witnessing it.”
Unidentified management consultant Tula described the scene as “horrendous” and “eerily reminiscent of a dream.”
Individuals were reportedly halting in the street in shock.
“The horses ran headfirst into swift-moving traffic while appearing terrified.” Unmarked police vehicles pursued them, which appeared to be of no assistance.
“At a frenzy”
London Ambulance Service stated that reports of a person being ejected from a horse prompted the initial dispatch of clinicians to Buckingham Palace Road.
A horse charged by a taxi driver awaiting passengers at the adjacent Clermont Hotel shattered the windows of his Mercedes people carrier.
Then, another of the creatures struck a double-decker tour bus that was parked, causing the windscreen to shatter.
Roland, an employee of the excursion bus company Toot Bus, described the situation as “complete chaos.”
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“I observed horses galvanising as they emerged from the bus station in front of Victoria.” “People were fleeing in an attempt to avoid them,” he stated.
Lieutenant Colonel Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, stated in a video on X that the horses were exercised each morning to acclimatise them to city commotion.
According to him, certain horses had been “aroused by construction activities taking place alongside them on a quiet side road in Belgravia, where materials were being dropped from an elevated position.”
He further stated that the resulting shock unseated some riders and caused all horses to flee.
Veterinarians are attending to all of the animals at the Hyde Park barracks.
