London bystander praises 'incredible' soldier's reaction to bolting horses
A bystander who witnessed the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment's horses charging riderless through central London praised an "incredible" soldier who was on the scene.
The military horses had been spooked during their daily morning exercise.
Two of the horses "continue to be cared for and closely observed" following treatment for their injuries caused after they ran loose through the capital on Wednesday, the Army has said.
A British Army spokesperson said after the animals were operated on that it was "too early to know" whether either will be able to return to official duties.
Due to her experience with horses, Ellie Stevenson, a marketing development executive who was on her way to work, stepped in to help when she saw an unseated soldier on the side of the road near Victoria Station.
Talking to Forces News, she said she had been praised for how she was able to hold up one of the horses, even managing to get its belt loosened off and stirrups rolled off so it was more comfortable before walking the animal alongside the soldier as he attempted to control the situation. Meanwhile, his colleague was on the ground surrounded by smashed glass.
Ms Stevenson told Forces News: "My main concern is for the welfare of the horses. It's not a nice event to have happened. I feel really overwhelmed with the response that I have had.
"My priority was to just make sure the horse didn't bolt and keep him as calm as possible until more help turned up."
She added: "It was definitely scary. There were loads of things going through my mind. When I walked over there were no emergency services at that point.
"Victoria coach station is busy. There were vehicles going past, cyclists going past. Although I know that these horses are well trained, once a horse is in a spooky flight situation, it's really hard to get them out of that situation.
"I knew the other soldier was not in a good way. I just focused on the horse really."
'He was incredible'
On the reactions of the soldier, Ms Stevenson said: "He was incredible, to be honest."
She added: "I know that people in the Army are trained to deal with stressful situations, but it was like he was everywhere at once, he was really good at making sure his horse was okay and then went to go and help his colleague whilst he was on the phone trying to get support in.
"He then helped by getting other members of the public to call for help and try and stop traffic. When emergency services turned up, he was also helping by sorting them out and making sure they were in the right place.
"And he just kept coming back to us as well, that was really good to see. At no point was there not one thing on his mind. He still came and checked on everyone.
"It was really impressive to sort of see how he reacted in that environment."
She also noted that the horse's training had kicked in and it listened to the soldier and was "really good" at calming down.
When asked if she had gained a new appreciation for the Household Cavalry, Ms Stevenson said: "It's easy to see that these people are well trained, but what really struck me, whilst they are prepared for an incident, I don't think you ever expect an incident to be with your horse.
"So it's good to see that they still have training for that as well and it's not just sort of ceremonial and they can react in those moments too.
"I think I have a further appreciation for it."
She added: "I really hope this does raise some common sense with awareness around animals and horses. I saw a lot of people saying 'why didn't they just grab the horse?'
"I would never have gone out and put myself in front of a horse because that is incredibly dangerous. I am hoping that there will be a forum around common sense around animals, like cyclists passing really close."
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment's annual inspection was held on Thursday at Hyde Park, the day after five of the regiment's horses bolted.
The Household Cavalry passed the annual inspection of the Major General, getting the green light to conduct this year's ceremonial duties.
More than 150 horses and nearly 200 participants, adorned in their iconic black, red, and gold uniforms, paraded before a small but appreciative audience on the old football pitch.
Having now passed their inspection, the Household Cavalry braces for yet another busy year ahead, which includes the upcoming King's Birthday Parade, or Trooping the Colour, in June.
In the last few years, the Household Cavalry has faced an exceptional period of duty, playing a key role in the Duke of Edinburgh's state funeral in 2021, Her Majesty's the Queen's final farewell in 2022, and the coronation in 2023.
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