Household Cavalry soldier controls panicked horse close to Hyde Park

A Household Cavalry soldier averted crisis on Monday by expertly controlling a panicked horse that had been spooked by nearby gun salutes marking the two year anniversary of King Charles‘s accession to the throne. 

The mounted soldier, a member of The Blues and Royals (formerly The Royal Horse Guards), managed to bring her horse back into line when it halted before veering off to the left after the gunfire in Hyde Park. 

By the time the procession was approaching the park’s Apsley Gate, the wayward horse had been brought back into the formation, to the relief of the soldier and onlookers.

A 41-gun salute in Hyde Park took place at midday on Monday, September 9, two years after King Charles acceded to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II‘s death on Thursday, September 8, 2022. 

The soldier’s ability to remain calm remain and in control of her horse meant that a repeat of the terrifying scene that unfolded on April 24, when five Household Cavalry horses rampaged through central London after being spooked, was avoided. 

Responding to the incident in April, a British Army spokesperson confirmed that the animals were ‘spooked by construction works’ when building materials were ‘dropped from a height’. 

Six soldiers and seven horses from the Life Guards were on an extended Watering Order, an exercise to keep up the fitness of animals not involved in the public-facing King’s Life Guard duties.

But the animals were startled during the exercise and they fled through the city leaving five people – including three of the soldiers riding the horses – injured in three separate incidents during the six-mile rampage that lasted two hours.

Onlookers said one of the Household Cavalry soldiers was left ‘screaming in pain’ after he was thrown from his horse when it struck a car by the Clermont Hotel on Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.

They were finally caught in Limehouse, east London. Held at the side of the road by several officers, the white horse began bleeding out onto the road and was treated by vets at the scene.

The injured horses saw a vet and all of the animals were returned to the Army’s camp.

The horses were all caught and accounted for by 10.30am, the Met Police said.

Footage of two horses being caught outside Gordon House on the Glamis Estate in Limehouse, east London, appeared to show that the white horse had broken its leg.

Still drenched in blood, the horse’s back left leg was bandaged and the animal seemed unwilling to walk on it.

The police worked with the soldiers to contain the horses before moving them into an army horsebox.

The animals were reportedly calm and stationary by the time the police reached them.

Held at the side of the road by several officers, the white horse bled all over the road and was treated by vets at the scene.

Footage shows it bleeding profusely from its back leg as police gathered around to stem the flow.

Builder Tom Cahill saw the horses being collected by the army at around 9.30am.

He said: ‘The horses had stopped and the police caught up to them.

‘It looked like the white horse had broken its leg.

‘At first there were just a few police officers but then they called the army in.

‘After they took the horses away they were trying to clean up all the blood but they didn’t have enough water.

‘There was so much blood they had to call the fire department to clean it up.

‘At first there were just a few police officers but then they called the army in.

‘After they took the horses away they were trying to clean up all the blood but they didn’t have enough water – there was that much blood.

‘They asked us but we didn’t have any so they had to call a fire engine in.’

Many residents of Gordon House saw the commotion as they left for the school run.

Others had no idea the horses had been recovered so close by. ‘I thought it looked familiar in the videos!’ said one man.

Junaid Ahmed said he saw the scene from his bedroom window. He said: ‘It was so sad – I have pets myself and seeing all that blood dripping onto the street….I just hope he’s alright.

‘I even saw some of the police officers crying as they were treating the horse.’

It is believed builders were using a travelator with concrete as the horses passed through Wilton Crescent in Belgravia at 8.40am.

Some of the concrete came off and hit the floor, causing a bang, which spooked the horses and caused five of them to bolt. 

Four soldiers were unseated and three were injured and taken to hospital. None are in a life-threatening condition.