Military horses bolt through London streets again
(CNN) — Three military horses from the prestigious Household Cavalry have been recovered after bolting through central London on Monday morning.
In scenes that appear to be similar to an instance in April, five soldiers were conducting a routine exercise with six horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, when the lead horse was spooked by a London bus.
Along with the lead horse, which was being led rather than ridden at the time, two riders were thrown from their horses as the animals ran free through the capital’s streets.
“We can confirm that whilst exercising this morning, three horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment became loose from their riders. They were swiftly and safely recovered,” an Army spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
“One horse received minor injuries, but no further treatment is required and there were no injuries to the soldiers involved,” the statement added.
The animals bolted from Seville Street to South Eaton Place, where one horse was recovered. Two horses continued to Vauxhall Bridge via Belgrave Road before being stopped.
Footage posted by a London black cab driver showed two of the horse running in front of his vehicle.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed all horses were collected and returned to Hyde Park Barracks by 9:55 a.m. (4:55 a.m. ET). The Household Cavalry acts as the King’s official bodyguard and take part in ceremonial duties. It is based at Hyde Park barracks, a short distance from Buckingham Palace.
None of the horses that escaped on Monday were involved in the previous incident on April 24.
There were startling scenes just over two months ago when several horses covered in blood, ran through streets in London’s financial district. On that occasion, six soldiers and seven horses from the Life Guards, part of the Household Cavalry, were conducting an extended exercise when the incident took place.
Five horses were spooked when some concrete fell off a conveyor belt being used in nearby construction work and hit the ground, according to the Army.
Following that incident, the injured soldiers and horses received expert emergency medical care, with the animals put under constant supervision by the Army’s veterinary surgeons.
Three of the horses injured during the rampage – Trojan, Tennyson, and Vanquish – have since returned to duty and most recently participated in the King’s birthday parade. The remaining two horses have been convalescing in the countryside and will “return to work in due course,” according to an update from the Army in early June.
This was a developing story and has been updated.
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CNN’s Lianne Kolirin contributed reporting.
