Injured soldiers to make full return to duty after being thrown from bolting horses
Three soldiers who were injured after being thrown off their horses that then charged through central London are to make a full return to duty.
The Household Cavalry horses bolted after being spooked by builders moving rubble in Belgravia, causing them to run loose through the capital's busy streets during the morning rush hour.
The Army said the injured soldiers would "recover fully and return to duty", however, they have also stated that it is “too early to know” whether two horses can return to official duties.
The four horses that bolted were named as Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson, although it is currently unclear which two of the animals had undergone an operation.
A British Army spokesperson said: "We are hoping that both these horses make a recovery.
"Whether they will recover enough to return to official duties, it’s too early to know for sure. But they've been given the best veterinary treatment possible and remain under close supervision.
"Vida was the most visibly injured and the pictures of the horse running through London soaked in blood were horrifying. Vida was operated on overnight and is currently in stables at the Hyde Park Barracks under observation.
"Quaker was also operated on overnight but it was decided to move the horse to an equine hospital in the early hours for more specialist treatment.
"The extent of the injuries is not completely clear but we don’t believe at this stage there are any broken bones. The blood seen on Vida (the grey horse) was consistent with lacerations."
Another person was also injured in the incident on Wednesday morning.
The defence minister James Cartlidge said in an interview: “There were five horses. They have all been recovered.
"Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition.”
He added: “They are in a serious condition, but as I understand, still alive.”
Pictures and videos show a grey horse running through London covered in blood, with witnesses saying it ran into a people carrier waiting outside a hotel.
One onlooker described the scenes near Victoria as "total mayhem".
Two of the horses were captured near Limehouse, more than five miles from where they first bolted.
The horses and soldiers had been taking part in a routine extended exercise in Belgravia.
Lieutenant Colonel Matt Woodward, the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, thanked the public for their help and said it was an "extremely rare" incident.
He explained the unit exercises around 150 horses on the roads and in parks every morning, partly to help desensitise them to city noise.
The Household Cavalry is a union of the two most senior regiments in the British Army – The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals.
Based at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is the ceremonial face of the regiment, conducting regular mounted state and public duties.
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