Two of the five horses running wild in London.
Credit: X/@adamcurtisbroll
London: Five riderless military horses that bolted during a routine exercise on Wednesday morning unleashed rush-hour mayhem on the streets of central London near Buckingham Palace, injuring at least four people.
Scenes of one blood-covered horse galloping along Aldwych near the High Commission of India and the West End theatre district were shared widely on social media after the horses collided with cars and smashed into a tourist bus.
The British Army later confirmed that all its horses had been recovered and returned to their camp, where they were receiving medical attention
"All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp. Several personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention," a spokesperson said.
The chaos is said to have erupted when the horses became alarmed by construction noise from builders working nearby.
Five of the seven horses ran off from where the exercise was taking place in Belgravia, a posh neighbourhood to the west of Buckingham Palace -- the residence of King Charles III.
The ceremonial exercise was part of preparations for the monarch’s annual birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour, next month.
According to reports, several soldiers were thrown off after the horses were spooked and three of the soldiers had to be taken to the hospital with injuries.
“We responded to several calls regarding an incident with horses on the loose in central London this morning. We sent multiple resources to the three scenes, treating four patients in total and taking them all to the hospital. We have since been stood down,” a London Ambulance Service statement said.
The horses belonged to the Household Cavalry, which is the ceremonial guard of the British monarch and a regular feature of state functions in London.
A taxi waiting near Buckingham Palace appeared to have a car window smashed in the mayhem, while a parked double-decker tourist bus had its windshield damaged.
“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,” said Inspector Myles Hilbery from the City of London Police.
Hilbery praised his police constables who he said had risked their 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,” he added.
The police force took control of the traffic, with officers on motorbikes creating 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.