Two animals involved in the bloody stampede are recuperating after surgery, military officials have said
Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London, England, April 24, 2024 © Getty Images / Jordan Pettitt
Two military horses that sustained injuries when they bolted through central London last week are receiving veterinary care and will recover, the British Army said in a statement on Monday. Shocking video footage showed the beasts careening into traffic, one of them soaked in blood.
Five horses belonging to the Household Cavalry were taking part in their morning exercises on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall last Wednesday when they were spooked by noise from a nearby construction site. Four of the horses threw their riders and set off at full tilt through rush-hour traffic, while one bolted but was brought back under control.
Photos and videos shared online showed one of the horses ramming into a double-decker bus and smashing its windshield; another was seen crashing into a black taxicab. A gray horse named Vida was seen galloping through the streets covered in blood.
Two horses underwent surgery, the army said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Quaker, a Cavalry black, has shown significant improvement and progresses towards what is expected to be a full recovery,” the post read.
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Vida “continues to make progress. He remains under close and careful professional veterinary observation as his wounds heal,” a follow-up post explained.
Four people were injured in the rampage, three of them soldiers. Two of the soldiers remain in hospital undergoing treatment, the army said, adding that both “will make a full recovery.”
The Household Cavalry carries out ceremonial duties around Buckingham Palace. Its horses are regularly exercised in the city to prepare them for the gun salutes and drumbeats of military parades.
It is unclear whether Quaker and Vida will return to duty after their recovery. In a statement on Friday, the army said that the three other horses involved in Wednesday’s incident “did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”
