2 Royal Horses That Bolted Through London Were ‘Dripping with Blood,’ Say Police Officers Who Helped Save Them

The horses were eventually stopped around 7 miles from where they were spooked by the sound of falling concrete

Two police officers who helped rescue the royal horses that got loose in London are opening up about the incident.

“We began this wild goose chase,” City of London police officer Lucy Hawes, 26, told U.K. newspaper The Times about being called to the scene at approximately 8.40 a.m. local time after four horses belonging to the Household Cavalry — named Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson — ran through the British capital on Wednesday, April 24.

The animals had been exercising with three other horses in the exclusive Belgravia neighborhood of the British capital when they became spooked by the sound of some construction concrete falling to the floor.

“We arrived at one location where they had been spotted, but found they had sped off in another direction. We U-turned in our vehicle … and were going as fast as we could... Eventually we caught up,” added Hawes, who spoke to The Times alongside constable Daniel McKeown, 46,

Related: King Charles' Guard Breaks Protocol to Allow Elderly Veteran to Pet His Horse

The officers said they began performing first aid on the animals after the Metropolitan Police managed to restrain the horses and tie them to a fence in Limehouse, east London, around 7 miles from where the events began.

"We found the two horses covered with cuts, dripping with blood — one had four gashes. They were both slick with sweat and were shaking,” McKeown recalled.

“We knew the carnage had happened behind but we didn’t know what to expect when we got up there,” McKeown continued. “We were covered in blood ourselves, and had to use all [of] our packets of bandages as well as the Met’s too to stop the bleeding.”

It's been reported that the white horse pictured running through the streets of London covered in blood was Vida.

Horse-lover Hawes — who has worked in the roads policing unit for five years and wants to join the mounted police in the future — told the outlet how she "gently" held and spoke to Vida in a bid to keep the animal calm. The British Army had said Vida was "known to kick and bite."

“Our concern was keeping the people of the city and the horses safe. To us, this should have been considered a major incident,” McKeown told the outlet.

Related: At Least 4 Injured After Runaway Royal Horses Gallop Through Streets of London

City of London Police Inspector Myles Hilbery praised the “courageous” officers and added that “Police constables Lucy Hawes and Daniel McKeown risked their own safety to provide first aid to the injured and anxious horses," Hilbery told the outlet.

"They kept the horses calm while waiting for a horse box and veterinary team to arrive... Our thoughts are with those people and horses injured in the incident,” Hilbery added.

On Friday, April 26, the British Army provided an update on the horses' recovery, confirming in a statement released on X (formerly known as Twitter) that two injured horses had been operated on.

They declined to comment when contacted by PEOPLE regarding an update on the horses' condition but said a statement would be issued when there was further information to share.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The British military previously confirmed in a statement that the three soldiers thrown off the horses were "expected to recover fully and return to duty," adding on April 26: "Two of the injured horses were operated on last night, with one transferred to an equine hospital. All remaining horses are being closely observed."

"Our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course," the message continued. "We want to thank everyone who has shown such kindness and concern towards our soldiers and horses. We will provide more updates soon."

Defence minister James Cartlidge previously told Sky News the two injured horses were "unfortunately in a relatively serious condition" following the incident. Per The Times, Vida has now returned to her stable after undergoing surgery.

The Household Cavalry is the senior regiment in the British Army and plays a leading role in state occasions involving King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton, among others. Its soldiers have also recently served in Afghanistan and Iraq — including Prince Harry in 2007.

The City of London police didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.