Military horses run loose in central London, injuring 4 people and causing havoc

LONDON – Several military horses bolted during routine exercises Wednesday and ran loose through central London, injuring four people and damaging vehicles during the morning rush hour.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said it was called at 8:25 a.m. to reports of a person being thrown from a horse in Buckingham Palace Road, and the first paramedic was on the scene within five minutes.

Pictures and videos of two of the animals, one white and the other black, circulated widely across social media. One of the horses had its front covered by what appeared to be blood or red paint.

The two horses were later contained in Limehouse, around 4 miles (6 kms) east of central London, City of London police said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what happened but it appeared that seven horses bolted from their barracks in central London and ran amok. All the animals were contained shortly after.

“A number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning,” an Army spokesperson said.

“All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp. A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention,” the spokesperson added.

British media reported that a taxi driver waiting near Buckingham Palace had his car window smashed by a spooked horse, while another horse crashed into a parked double-decker tour bus and damaged its windshield.