London horses – live: Update issued on return of Household Cavalry horses as Quaker ‘not looking good’

The Household Cavalry horses that did not sustain serious injuries after they bolted through London will return to duty “in due course”, the Army has said.

Two of the five military horses are being closely observed having undergone surgery. Four people were taken to hospital when the animals were spooked in Belgravia and threw off their riders.

One of the horses operated on is in an equine hospital. The other is being cared for at the Cavalry’s barracks in Knightsbridge.

Vets cannot be certain whether two of the horses that ran loose in London will ever go back into service.

An Army spokesman said on Thursday: “We are hoping that both these horses make a recovery. Whether they will recover enough to return to official duties, it’s too early to know for sure.

“But they’ve been given the best veterinary treatment possible and remain under close supervision.

“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 in the early hours for more specialist treatment.

“The extent of the injuries is not completely clear but we don’t believe at this stage there are any broken bones,” the spokesman said.

“The blood seen on Vida (the grey horse) was consistent with lacerations.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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:

More than six thousand animal lovers have signed a petition to get the two injured horses retired after they recover from their serious injuries.

Animal Rising said: “These magnificent animals were so frightened that they ran through the streets of London, injuring both people and themselves. It is clear that these horses do not belong in the army, and they deserve a better life.

“We need your help to get these horses to safety. Please sign and share this petition as widely as possible so that we can get them to a sanctuary where they can live out the rest of their lives in peace.

“These horses have served their country through no choice of their own. Now, it is time for us to serve them. Let’s ensure that the Royal Household Cavalry gives these horses the life they deserve. Thank you for your support.”