Five runaway horses from the king’s mounted bodyguard charged through London on Wednesday morning. Four people were injured in the mayhem.
The animals were startled during their morning exercises by the sound of construction workers moving rubble, as reported by The Telegraph. Riders were thrown from the horses as the animals made their escape and stampeded through the city during morning rush hour.
“A number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning. All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp,” a military spokeswoman told The Washington Post. “A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.”
For nearly five miles, the horses galloped with abandon through the streets surrounding Buckingham Palace — smashing cars, double-decker buses and other obstacles.
Bashir Aden, a construction worker, said he saw a soldier thrown from a horse after smashing into a car. “The man hit the floor hard, he was screaming in pain. You could see blood all over the parked car,” Aden told The Telegraph. “The injuries looked very serious he looked really hurt.”
“The horses come down this route every day, but today the horse looked stressed or panicked. I saw the horse run away after it hit a bus. People were screaming and running all over.”
One of the horses, which is white, appeared to be soaked in blood as it charged riderless through the streets, per NBC News. According to eyewitnesses, the white horse collided with a vehicle, injuring the animal and leaving its chest and legs soaked in blood.
“I looked up and I saw a horse being led in the direction coming towards me and the horse was very bloody,” an eyewitness, Megan Maurer, told The Telegraph. “The poor thing looked like it was in really rough shape, there was blood all over its legs and on its head.”
All five of the horses were corralled and returned to their camp.
The City of London Police confirmed in a statement that it was “pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”
“Our thoughts are with those people and horses injured in the incident,” the London Police added in its statement.
Among those injured during the chaos were three soldiers and one pedestrian. According to the City of London Police, ambulances were sent to treat three different incidents. All four of the individuals injured were treated in the hospital.
The runaway horses are part of a unit of the British army called The Household Cavalry. All soldiers in The Household Cavalry are taught to ride these horses. The horses play a role in major royal celebrations, such as the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. Through training, the horses learn to stay clam in bustling cities, events and crowds.