Blood-soaked horses run loose in London after breaking free from Household Cavalry
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One of the five horses that rampaged through central London has had their condition described as “not looking good”.
A military source has told The Sun that concerns were still high for the black horse Quaker as Vida returned to her stables overnight after an operation.
One has since been transferred to an equine hospital while the others remain under close observation.
It came as an alleged whistleblower at Hyde Park Barracks explained that she saw rats roaming around where the horses are kept and that they were often given “dirty water”.
The former volunteer, giving her name as Kate, told LBC the horses would sometimes “only have exercise for an hour a day, and very little sunlight, often stuck inside.”
An Army spokesperson told The Independent: “We take the health and wellbeing of our military working horses extremely seriously. They are well looked after, exercised daily and have 24/7 direct access to world-class veterinary care.”
Key Points
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Latest update on horses from Army
The military horses that were injured after running loose through London on Wednesday continue to be “closely observed”, the Army said.
A statement on X, formerly Twitter, said: “Every one of the horses involved continue to be cared for and closely observed.
“Two of the injured horses have been operated on, with one transferred to an equine hospital.
“All our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.
“There are no further updates regarding our soldiers who were injured in the incident – all are expected to recover and return to duty.
“Once again we thank the public for their concern and kind messages. We will provide further updates as soon as we can.”
Athena Stavrou26 April 2024 16:40
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Horses were in flight-or-fight mode, says expert
Redwings Horse Sanctuary explained why the situation, which required two of the horses to be operated on, may have escalated so quickly.
“The incident that spooked those horses must have been fairly dramatic for them to have taken off like that,” Nic De Brauwere, head of behaviour at the charity told The Independent.
“When horses are in flight-or-fight mode, they will continue to run away from what they think could be a dangerous situation until they feel calm enough to relax.
“I imagine that they probably felt disorientated when they started to calm down and they didn’t have a solution as to how to find their way back home until they were caught.
“They probably would have known how to get back to the barracks and walked to that place if they were along their normal route. Horses are pretty good at recognising where they are.”
Barney Davis26 April 2024 16:35
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‘We’ll rehome Household Cavalry horses,’ says UK’s oldest equine charity
The UK’s oldest equine charity has offered to rehome the runaway Household Cavalry horses should they be unable to return to military duty, The Independent can reveal.
Five people were injured after seven service horses — one of which was covered in blood — ran riot through central London on Wednesday, smashing into cars, buses and bringing parts of the capital to a standstill.
“There were five horses. They have all been recovered. Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition,” the defence minister James Cartlidge told Sky News this morning.
Read the full article from Emma Guinness here:
Barney Davis26 April 2024 14:00
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‘Whistleblower’ blasts conditions of Hyde Park barracks
An alleged whistleblower at Hyde Park Barrack explained that she saw rats roaming around where the horses are kept and that they were often given “dirty water”.
The former volunteer, giving her name as Kate, told LBC the horses would sometimes “only have exercise for an hour a day, and very little sunlight, often stuck inside.”
An Army spokesperson told The Independent: “We take the health and wellbeing of our military working horses extremely seriously. They are well looked after, exercised daily and have 24/7 direct access to world-class veterinary care.”
Barney Davis26 April 2024 12:45
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‘Tradition is no excuse for cruelty’ PETA call for end of horse exploitation
Elisa Allen, of PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, wrote in the Mirror: “As prey animals, their natural fight or flight instinct is paramount to their survival – and the only reliable outcome is that a horse will behave unpredictably.
“Attempting to suppress horses’ natural stress response puts them at risk – those used to control rowdy crowds are often the targets of hooligans. Earlier this week, a horse was struck with an umbrella at a St George’s Day protest, and in 2020, crowds threw glass bottles and even a bike at mounted officers.
“Tradition is no excuse for cruelty. Just as the practise of using horses to pull buggies has long since faded from our streets with the advent of cars, so must our ever-evolving knowledge of animal sentience spell the end of horse exploitation by our police and military.”
Barney Davis26 April 2024 12:44
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Where the horses ran in London
A map of where the animals went:
Barney Davis26 April 2024 11:45
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What is the Household Cavalry?
Two of the five Household Cavalry horses that rampaged through central London suffered serious injuries but are still alive, according to a minister.
But what is the Household Cavalry? The Independent takes a look below
Read the full article from Alexander Butler here:
Barney Davis26 April 2024 10:37
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Household Cavalry horse spooked as rider thrown to ground in new London incident
Household Cavalry horse spooked as rider thrown to ground in new London incident
Barney Davis26 April 2024 08:32
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Things ‘not looking good’ for Quaker – military source
A military source has told The Sun that things “aren’t looking good” for the black horse Quaker as Vida returns to her stables overnight after an operation.
Army bosses have claimed it is ‘too early to know’ if the pair that rampaged through central London will ever return to active duty.
An Army spokesman said: “Vida was the most visibly injured and the pictures of the horse running through London soaked in blood were horrifying.
“Vida was operated on overnight and is currently in stables at the Hyde Park Barracks under observation. Quaker was also operated on overnight but it was decided to move the horse to an equine hospital for more specialist treatment.”
Two military horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych on Wednesday (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)
Barney Davis26 April 2024 07:23
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Two injured horses may never return to duty
Two horses that needed surgery after being badly wounded may never return to duty.
The British Army wrote on social media: “Our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”
Jane Dalton26 April 2024 07:00
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-horses-loose-household-cavalry-latest-b2535146.html
