London (Parliament News) – The British Army awaits the fate of injured horses involved in a dramatic incident in London. While hoping for their recovery, it’s unclear if they’ll return to duty.
The British Army has stated it is too early to know for certain if two military horses that suffered severe injuries after running loose through London will return to assignment. Seven horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry were on a comprehensive exercise in Belgravia on Wednesday when the horses were frightened by builders moving rubble.
How Severe Are the Injuries of the Runaway Horses?
Four service personnel were tossed from their horses and four of the animals, named Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson, got loose, smashing into vehicles – including a double-decker bus – and causing several injuries. Ambulance teams treated four people in the space of 10 minutes after three different incidents in Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and at the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street.
Can Vida and Quaker Recover Sufficiently for Duty?
The British Army expressed that Vida and Quaker underwent surgery overnight on Wednesday, with the latter being driven to an equine hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning for additional specialist treatment.
In an update, the army stated: “All our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.” Three soldiers who were injured will “recover fully and return to duty”, the statement said.
An Army spokesperson stated that while the force hopes both horses will recover, it’s “too early to understand for sure” whether Vida and Quaker will do so adequately to return to official duties. The extent of the damages is not completely clear but we don’t think at this stage there are any broken bones.”
Military authorities said that there were no schedules to euthanise either horse. Vida was the grey horse, caught in videos and images covered in blood, alongside the black horse, Quaker.
The army is evaluating dozens of offers to rehome the horses should they be unfit to resume active service, including from the UK’s most senior equine charity, The Horse Trust.
Jessica Tallman, a director at the trust, stated: “The Horse Trust are experts in research and the care of service horses, and we have many retired military horses residing at our sanctuary.” Several individuals have also come forward to offer the horses a home.