“Vida” and “Trojan”, the horses of the Royal Guard that ran scared through the streets of London, are “in serious condition”

“Vida” and “Trojan”, the two Royal Guard horses that ran scared through the streets of London this Wednesday in a dramatic spectacle, They are “in serious condition and have undergone surgery.”

The bloody white horse, which was moving at high speed, is called Vida and is hospitalized, after the operation, in an equine hospital by decision of the army veterinarians.

“Three of them are fine. Two of them unfortunately They are in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition,” Defense Minister James Cartlidge told Sky News. “They are in a serious condition but, as I understand it, they are still alive.”

Four soldiers knocked from their mounts were hospitalized with injuries. But they were expected to make a full recovery and return to duty.

Vida, Quaker, Trojan and Tennyson escaped when They heard a noise of cement dropped from the air by a worker at a construction site. A fifth horse failed to free itself and run.

The defense minister identified Vida as the white horse seen soaked in blood as it galloped through Aldwych, between London’s historic financial center and the busy West End theater district.

Vida ran alongside Trojan, who could be seen sideswiping a taxi, as it turned into oncoming traffic after running a red light at an intersection.

Vida crashed a Mercedes Benz combiwho was waiting with his owner for a passenger in front of the Clarmont Hotel, and broke the windows and the door.

During the wild spectacle, captured by astonished travelers and shared on social media, the horses They almost collided with cyclists and a motorcyclist at a traffic light.

Quaker crashed into a tour bus and broke the windshield.

Two of the horses were cornered in Limehouse, 8 kilometers from where they fled. All captured horses were returned to Hyde Park barracks.

Cartlidge said that the army trains with about 150 horses every daymaking the incident exceptionally rare.

“Unfortunately we have seen what has happened. But all I can say is the crucial thing. To what extent

“We know, there are no serious injuries to the public and, of course, we will keep an eye on the situation,” he told LBC.

Horses They had been training for an upcoming military parade and the traditional Trooping the colors, when the king’s official birthday is celebrated. They were frightened by the sound of construction materials at a work site in Belgravia, an elegant neighborhood just west of the palace, very close to the Argentine diplomatic residence, said Matt Woodward, commander of the Royal Mounted Cavalry Regiment.

A day after the incident, more than 150 horses and nearly 200 participants took part in the regiment’s annual inspection in Hyde Park to demonstrate their readiness for the summer show, including Trooping the Color and state visits.

A small crowd gathered as horsemen, dressed in black, red and gold uniforms, with gold helmets, trotted to the beat of a marching band.

“Our horses receive the highest standards of care. Those who did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course,” said Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Commander Lt. Col. Matt Woodward.

“We want to thank everyone who has shown so much kindness and concern towards our soldiers and horses. We will provide more updates soon,” he said.

He stressed that although the images that appeared of the horses running through the capital were “dramatic”, It was “a very exceptional event.”

“This scenario is extremely unlikely,” he told LBC.

Four soldiers were thrown from their horses. Paramedics treated four people in three separate incidents in Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square and at the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, in just 10 minutes.

The military said three wounded soldiers “will make a full recovery and return to duty.”

A witness got off a bus and described seeing two horses, one black and one white, “flying by”. “The white was soaked in blood from the chest down and galloped through traffic at high speed,” he said.

“People stopped in the street dumbfounded. The horses ran toward the fast traffic and seemed

terrified. Some unmarked police cars were chasing them, which didn’t seem to help. I felt shocked. It was pretty scary. “It felt like a strange dream,” said the bus passenger.

The horses were eventually recaptured by City of London police and taken to be assessed by army veterinarians.

All animals are receiving care from veterinarians at the Hyde Park barracks.

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment commander Lt. Col. Matt Woodward said in a video statement posted on X that the unit exercises about 150 horses in the streets and parks every morning, partly to help desensitize them to city noise.

He said that the “impact” of building materials that fell from a nearby height caused the horses to bolt and knock down some riders.

“Fortunately, considering the frequency of the exercise and the number of horses involved, this type of incident is extremely rare, we continue to strive to minimize the risk of this happening again,” he concluded.