Army blood-soaked horses running wild in London were spooked due to construction work

The army has confirmed that the blood-soaked horses spotted running through central London this morning, causing havoc in the nation’s capital, are “safe” and undergoing veterinary care.

Seven horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry were on an exercise in Belgravia when chaos erupted on the streets. The powerful animals were scared when concrete was dropped by builders and landed next to them, causing four service personnel to be thrown from their steeds, reports the Mirror.

Five of the horses got loose, smashing into vehicles and causing a number of injuries. They were pictured running through busy areas of the city, one of them bloodied, before they were finally stopped and brought under control.

In an update on X, formerly Twitter, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, said: “This morning, a small group of horses were spooked by construction works on a quiet side road where building materials were dropped from height next to them.

“The ensuing shock caused all horses to bolt and unseated some riders. Our immediate priority was the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers, members of the public and our horses. Our horses have all returned to Hyde Park Barracks and are undergoing veterinary care. Thankfully, considering the frequency of exercise and number of horses involved this type of incident is extremely rare.”

Three soldiers were assessed in hospital for their injuries, but they were not thought to be serious. A white horse collided with a Mercedes people carrier, leaving blood splattered down the side. Another of the animals crashed into a tour bus, smashing the windscreen in the process.

The animals were later seen near the Limehouse Tunnel, before they were recaptured by London cops and taken away to be assessed by Army vets.

In a Tweet, the British Army said: “Thank you to Met Police, City of London Police, London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and members of the public for reacting as quickly as they did. This enabled the swift treatment of our soldiers and helped us to bring our injured horses to safety.”

Witness Tula, a management consultant from south London, said: “I got off the 172 bus which ends at Aldwych and two horses went flying past. One black, one white. The white one was drenched in blood from the chest down and they were galloping through the traffic at speed.

“People were stopping in the street shocked. The horses were running into fast-moving traffic and seemed terrified. Some unmarked police cars were chasing after them, which didn’t seem to be helping. I felt shocked. It was pretty gruesome. Felt like a weird dream.”

Inspector Myles Hilbery, City of London Police added: “This was a dynamic incident and the courageous actions taken by police officers from our Roads Policing team prevented further harm and distress to the horses and members of the public.

“Police Constables Lucy Hawes and Daniel McKeown risked their own safety to provide first aid to the injured and anxious horses. They kept the horses calm while waiting for a horse box and veterinary team to arrive.

“PCs Brett Daniels and Chris Wilson took over management of traffic control on the busy arterial road enabling PCs Rob Bray and Shaun Gurney on motorbikes to create a clear path for the horses to be safely led into the horse box and escorted back to the Army barracks for urgent medical care. Our thoughts are with those people and horses injured in the incident.”

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