After several royal horses were injured during a bolt through London in April, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) announced the horses are continuing to make progress in their recovery.
Three of the five horses injured are now back on duty and are likely to take their place in The King’s Birthday Parade on 15th June, Trooping the Colour. Two are still recovering in the countryside but are set to return to their duties in due course. Things are also looking up for the injured soldiers during the London incident. Three of them are back on duty while two are still recovering and are expected to come back to work in due time.
The HCMR credits the horses’ recovery to the Army’s dedicated veterinary surgeons and specialist support from The Horse Trust. A horse charity and sanctuary that provides retirement and respite for working horses and ponies. Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive Officer at the trust issued the following statement:
“It has been a privilege to provide these wonderful horses with the space and time needed to fully recover. It’s been so lovely to see Trojan, Tennyson and Vanquish enjoying such a relaxing break and now we have Vida and Quaker already loving their time here. All five horses are much younger than our regular Service residents and seeing them running, rolling and generally having fun after such a challenging experience, is a real joy.”
The Life Guards of the HCMR were on their daily morning exercise ride when their horses got spooked by construction rubble being dropped through a plastic tunnel close to them. Media images show two of the horses running loose and covered in blood as they made their way through the streets of London. Immediately following the accident, all injured horses and soldiers were put in expert emergency medical care. The horses were then put under constant supervision by the Army’s veterinary surgeons.
“All five of the horses injured during the incident on 24th April are recovering with remarkable speed and it is very likely that Trojan, Tennyson and Vanquish will participate in the King’s Birthday Parade later this month. The remaining two, Vida and Quaker, are enjoying a summer holiday in the Chilterns thanks to The Horse Trust.
“They are expected to make a full recovery and we look forward to seeing them back on duty in due course. Of the two most seriously injured soldiers, one is continuing his recovery at home and the other at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. They are both considered likely to return to military service in the fullness of time,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Woodward, Commanding Officer at the HCMR.
For the horses still in recovery, they will remain with The Horse Trust for as long as they need to before they are cleared to work. While The Army has its own respite facilities, the trust is closer to central London and leaves less journey time for the horses.
