Military horses get loose in central London (again) - and crash into taxi
This is the moment a runaway horse collides with a black cab in London after being spooked by a bus.
The taxi driver posted the footage on social media from his dashcam and said the horse hit his vehicle at around 8.30am on Monday in Lupus St in Pimlico.
The clip, posted on X, shows the horse continuing along the road with a second horse following it.
The incident comes just months after a similar incident in London.
On Monday, six horses under the control of five soldiers had been out on a routine exercise when the lead horse, which was being led rather than ridden, was scared by a vehicle.
Two horses then lost their riders from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, with the three riderless horses charging from Seville Street to South Eaton Place.
One was collected at South Eaton Place but the other two continued to Vauxhall Bridge via Belgrave Road before being stopped.
The animals were seen being stroked and calmed by Army troops on Vauxhall Bridge around 9.30am as traffic passed by.
A police officer told The Telegraph: “Two horses lost their riders and went on a run. We are now waiting for horse boxes to take them away. There were no injuries.”
A military source told The Telegraph that horses losing riders and bolting in cities happens “from time to time”. They were unable to confirm exact figures but said the two recent events had happened in “relatively close proximity”.
The incident has prompted concern from activists who claim the “highly sensitive animals” should not be subjected to the “noise and commotion” of a city centre.
Fiona Pereira, the Animal Aid campaign manager, said: “It is difficult to imagine how frightened these horses must have felt, racing through a city so alien to the natural environment they should be living in. Bolting horses can injure themselves and pose significant danger to the public. In 2024, the use of horses for essentially entertainment purposes, is outdated and unethical.”
Elisa Allen, PETA’s vice president of programmes, added: “The Ministry of Defence (MoD) snubbed its nose at PETA’s warning about the dangers of treating easily spooked horses as mere equipment – and now the group’s concerns have been vindicated. In 2024, animals have no place in the military, and it’s high time it MoDernised.”
Two marked police vehicles were parked next to the horses on the pavement. A large white horse van then appeared, and traffic was brought to a halt.
A member of the public called out: “Did they get loose again?” A police officer responded: “Yeah.”
The horses were collected and returned to Hyde Park Barracks by 9.55am. One horse suffered minor injuries. None of the horses were involved in the previous bolting incident in April.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We’re aware that a number of horses were loose in central London, and worked with the Army to locate them.
“We’re pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”
An Army spokesman said: “We can confirm that whilst exercising this morning, three horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment became loose from their riders. They were swiftly and safely recovered.
“One horse received minor injuries, but no further treatment is required and there were no injuries to the soldiers involved”.
It comes after Household Cavalry horses rampaged through central London on April 24 after being spooked by noisy construction work, leaving four people injured.
The animals threw their riders, Lifeguards and Blues and Royals servicemen, while they were leaving Hyde Park Barracks during rehearsal preparations for the King’s birthday parade in June.
Two of the horses, one covered in blood, then charged at pace through busy streets around Tower Bridge and the Strand for five miles until eventually being stopped in Limehouse, east London.
