NOS News•today, 11:49
Two of the five horses that bolted in London yesterday were seriously injured. British Defense Minister Cartlidge says the condition of the black Quaker and the white Vida is worrying. Images of their crazy trip showed that Vida was bleeding profusely.
Things went wrong yesterday during the morning rush hour during an exercise by the Household Cavalry, the ceremonial guard of Buckingham Palace. During an exercise in the Belgravia district, the animals were startled by falling debris on a construction site. Of the seven horses that were startled, five reared and four bolted.
Of the four riders thrown from their horses in the incident, three had to be hospitalized. Two spent the night there, although according to the defense minister their injuries were not too bad. A cyclist was also injured during the journey from Buckingham Palace to far into East London.
Amazed Londoners filmed the stampeding horses:
Horses run amok in central London
During the 5 miles that the animals ran through London, they damaged several vehicles. A taxi van suffered a major dent, and a double-decker bus had a window shattered. Last night the animals underwent surgery for the injuries they sustained.
“Three of them are doing fine, unfortunately the other two are seriously injured,” Minister Cartlidge explained. “We are of course keeping a close eye on their condition.” He did not say what exactly was wrong with the animals.
Cartlidge emphasized that this is an unusual situation: the guard in London uses 150 animals every day and it almost never goes wrong. The animals are carefully trained for the loud noises and unexpected situations in the busy city.
An anonymous army source from The Sun newspaper says that the stallion Vida has caused problems in the past because of his “spirited” temper. For example, he allegedly kicked a soldier in the head during Charles’s coronation last year.
