2 runaway UK military horses undergo surgery soldiers recover

London, Apr 25 (PTI) Two of the four riderless horses that bolted during a routine exercise causing mayhem on the streets of central London have undergone surgery but are expected to return to duty in due course, the British Army said in a statement on Thursday.
    Scenes of a blood-covered horse galloping alongside another along Aldwych near the High Commission of India and the West End theatre district were shared widely on social media on Wednesday after the horses collided with cars and smashed into a tourist bus.
    The Army said three soldiers injured when they were unseated from their horses are on the road to recovery as they named the four runaway horses from the Household Cavalry.
    "Of the seven horses which were spooked, five tried to bolt and four – Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson – broke loose. Two of the injured horses were operated on last night, with one transferred to an equine hospital. All remaining horses are being closely observed,” the Army statement said.
    "Our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course. We want to thank everyone who has shown such kindness and concern towards our soldiers and horses. We will provide more updates soon,” it said.
    Quaker is the horse still in hospital, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
    Earlier, the Household Cavalry said the horses undergo regular "routine exercise" to get them used to loud city traffic sounds so they are well trained for major military parades and it was during one such exercise in the Belgravia area near Buckingham Palace on Wednesday morning that a few of them were spooked by builders dropping rubble from a height "right next to them".
    Firefighters assisted emergency services following the incident, using drones to locate the runaway horses.
    "Due to reports that several horses were unaccounted for, the Brigade’s response for large animal rescues was also alerted, along with the drone team and National Interagency Liaison Officers to assist in the search and the horses were quickly accounted for,” said Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster, who helped coordinate the London Fire Brigade’s response.
    The horses belonged to the Household Cavalry, which is the ceremonial guard of the British monarch and a regular feature of state functions in London. A taxi waiting near Buckingham Palace appeared to have a car window smashed in the mayhem, while a parked double-decker tourist bus had its windshield damaged.
    "This was a dynamic incident and the courageous actions taken by police officers from our Roads Policing team prevented further harm and distress to the horses and members of the public,” said Inspector Myles Hilbery from City of London Police.
    Hilbery praised his police constables who he said had risked their own safety to provide first aid to the injured and anxious horses.
    “They kept the horses calm while waiting for a horse box and veterinary team to arrive,” he added.
    The police force took control of the traffic, with officers on motorbikes creating a clear path for the horses to be safely led into the horse box and escorted back to the Army barracks for urgent medical care.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)