Military horses that fled frightened by construction noise in central London earlier this week “continue to be cared for and watched closely,” the British Army said on Friday.
In an update on X, formerly Twitter, the Army provided no new information about the status of the two horses, Vida and Quaker, that underwent surgery. Trojan and Tennyson were the other two who broke out.
Vida, a white horse seen soaked in blood while galloping through Aldwych, between London’s historic financial center and the busy West End theater district, was the most visibly injured and was treated for lacerations. Quaker, the other horse operated on, was taken to an equine hospital to receive specialized care.
The four horses of the Royal Cavalry, the monarch’s ceremonial guard and element of state functions in London, were released during routine exercises in the morning rush hour on Wednesday near Buckingham Palace. A fifth horse attempted to escape but was unable to free itself.
“Each of the horses involved continue to be closely cared for and observed,” the Army said. “All of our horses receive the highest standards of care and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”
The Army also confirmed that the three soldiers dismissed from their posts and hospitalized with injuries “are expected to recover and return to duty.”
During the wild spectacle captured by stunned travelers and shared on social media, horses collided with vehicles and nearly crashed.
The horses had been training for an upcoming military parade and were frightened by the noise of construction materials at a work site in Belgravia, an upscale neighborhood just west of the palace, said Matt Woodward, commander of the Royal Cavalry Mounted 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.