Anyone know what happened?

anguscat

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 February 2009
Messages
1,752
Visit site
I’ve just spoken with my boy. All the horses (seven bolted) are alive. Three riders are in hospital but not very serious. When the incident happened (during what was just morning exercise) one person from the Royal Mews collected a horse from Victoria and took it back to the mews. The police caught another in Victoria and took it to the mews. My lad set off for the city in pursuit of the grey and black but was called back to the mews to deal with catastrophic bleeding. The police then drove him to Wapping where the grey and black had been caught. There were City of London police and Good Samaritans applying pressure to multiple wounds and a huge quantity of blood was pooling on the ground under the grey but none of the wounds were bleeding that briskly to account for it. The blood was coming from it’s soles. It also has serious chest and groin wounds and it’s numbers and colour are awful but no pedal bone rotation. One horse ended up on a bus by going through the windscreen. All the horses have road and glass contaminated wounds and one has a cheese grated arterial tear. No broken bones detected on X-ray but lots of torn lips and gums and all will need a thorough oral exam tomorrow. He expects they will all colic and the two that bolted to Wapping will probably tie up. He said the Met were magnificent. They provided dozens of personnel and vehicles to clear a path for the horsebox from Wapping to Knightsbridge even helpfully skittling some inconvenient bollards at Whitehall. He doesn’t know why the two that went to Wapping travelled so far. They usually just stop for a munch as soon as they come across a bit of grass. The grey is called Vida and is “a horrible, horrible horse but being quite sweet now.” Three vets are on duty and pizza has thoughtfully been sent.
Thank you SO much for updating us all.
 

ponynutz

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 December 2018
Messages
1,560
Visit site
I’ve just spoken with my boy. All the horses (seven bolted) are alive. Three riders are in hospital but not very serious. When the incident happened (during what was just morning exercise) one person from the Royal Mews collected a horse from Victoria and took it back to the mews. The police caught another in Victoria and took it to the mews. My lad set off for the city in pursuit of the grey and black but was called back to the mews to deal with catastrophic bleeding. The police then drove him to Wapping where the grey and black had been caught. There were City of London police and Good Samaritans applying pressure to multiple wounds and a huge quantity of blood was pooling on the ground under the grey but none of the wounds were bleeding that briskly to account for it. The blood was coming from it’s soles. It also has serious chest and groin wounds and it’s numbers and colour are awful but no pedal bone rotation. One horse ended up on a bus by going through the windscreen. All the horses have road and glass contaminated wounds and one has a cheese grated arterial tear. No broken bones detected on X-ray but lots of torn lips and gums and all will need a thorough oral exam tomorrow. He expects they will all colic and the two that bolted to Wapping will probably tie up. He said the Met were magnificent. They provided dozens of personnel and vehicles to clear a path for the horsebox from Wapping to Knightsbridge even helpfully skittling some inconvenient bollards at Whitehall. He doesn’t know why the two that went to Wapping travelled so far. They usually just stop for a munch as soon as they come across a bit of grass. The grey is called Vida and is “a horrible, horrible horse but being quite sweet now.” Three vets are on duty and pizza has thoughtfully been sent.
Thank you for updating @Quiqleyandme ! Hope your boy and his colleagues are okay, must have been an awful day for all of those vets.

Awful reading and I'm very worried about the future for that grey, poor thing.
 

lynz88

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2012
Messages
2,161
Visit site
Just seen the report on Sky News - "questions will be asked about how these horses were so easily spooked" .... well if it was concrete going down a chute, I wouldn't blame any of the horses for bolting and wouldn't consider that "easily spooked".

I hope the horses are OK - that made for some sad reading above ☹️
 

Tiddlypom

Carries on creakily
Joined
17 July 2013
Messages
22,405
Location
In between the Midlands and the North
Visit site
Quigley, many thanks for that update. I’m sure that the vet team and the grooms were working through last night night to keep a very close eye on their injured charges.
Re the grey horse, I wonder if he's torn the laminae in his feet - concussive laminitis. Very bad news if he has, never mind the other lacerations.

That’s what I thought ☹️. It can happen to hunters who have been cantered excessively on the road. That’s very serious indeed, let alone the other injuries, and the real threat of colic and tying up.

It’s interesting that the grey is described as being rather cranky in his normal life. That might just help him overcome his injuries. Remember Sefton, the army horse that survived the 1982 Hyde Park bombing that killed 7 other horses? He was known before that to be cranky to handle and he had the stable name of Sharky due to being free with his teeth. It was, in part, his stubbornness that got him through his injuries.

All the best to all who were injured be they equine or human, and to the vets and grooms who are caring for the horses now.
 

mypegasus

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 January 2008
Messages
1,005
Location
West Midlands
www.themusingsofpegasus.wordpress.com
I had to stop looking at newspaper articles and the news for a bit yesterday, as seeing the videos and pictures of the grey and black running through the streets was just heart rending. You could tell that the grey was hurting, but didn't want to stop.

Well done to all those police officers and members of the public who helped and looked after the horses once they were caught. The army have a fabulous team of veterinary surgeons, nurses and staff so they will be getting the best possible care and chance of returning to duty. Hopefully if the grey doesn't return to duty they will head off for a happy retirement.

Hope that all of the personnel and public who were injured are also making a swift and speedy recovery from any injuries sustained.
 

AthenesOwl

Member
Joined
10 January 2024
Messages
24
Visit site
I had to stop looking at newspaper articles and the news for a bit yesterday, as seeing the videos and pictures of the grey and black running through the streets was just heart rending. You could tell that the grey was hurting, but didn't want to stop.

Well done to all those police officers and members of the public who helped and looked after the horses once they were caught. The army have a fabulous team of veterinary surgeons, nurses and staff so they will be getting the best possible care and chance of returning to duty. Hopefully if the grey doesn't return to duty they will head off for a happy retirement.

Hope that all of the personnel and public who were injured are also making a swift and speedy recovery from any injuries sustained.

I felt the same, and it’s horrible that so many of the papers have chosen pictures of the grey and black horses galloping together for their front pages today. Glorifying animals in pain and terror.

My own current regular ride is a big grey, and when I was riding yesterday I kept thinking of that poor injured grey, who looks so similar to the lovely boy I was on.

I’m so glad that there were wonderful people around to help the horses, and that they’re getting top notch veterinary care. I hope all the horses can recover from their injuries, and if necessary retire to The Horse Trust.
 

Cortez

Tough but Fair
Joined
17 January 2009
Messages
15,261
Location
Ireland
Visit site
I felt the same, and it’s horrible that so many of the papers have chosen pictures of the grey and black horses galloping together for their front pages today. Glorifying animals in pain and terror.

My own current regular ride is a big grey, and when I was riding yesterday I kept thinking of that poor injured grey, who looks so similar to the lovely boy I was on.

I’m so glad that there were wonderful people around to help the horses, and that they’re getting top notch veterinary care. I hope all the horses can recover from their injuries, and if necessary retire to The Horse Trust.
Reporting on something is not glorifying it. What is upsetting people is the all-too visible state of the grey, the fact that some of the black horses were also bleeding profusely is not as obvious, nor as viscerally shocking.
 

AthenesOwl

Member
Joined
10 January 2024
Messages
24
Visit site
Reporting on something is not glorifying it. What is upsetting people is the all-too visible state of the grey, the fact that some of the black horses were also bleeding profusely is not as obvious, nor as viscerally shocking.
My point is that they didn’t need to use those distressing pictures at all.
 

Burnerbee

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2012
Messages
93
Visit site
Watching that makes my blood run cold. I hope the horses and everyone involved are OK. I do wonder if this will bring into question whether central London is a suitable environment for horses.
It’s absolutely not. I used to work in central London, full time. I then didn’t really didn’t go into London much for 5 or so years and now, when I go back the difference in the traffic and general hecticness is noticeable.

The ‘oh but it’s tradition’ argument is irrelevant - up until 40 years ago there was, just about, room for horses - now there is not.

They can move ‘horse related’ ceremonies to Windsor if they want.
 

Mynstrel

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2008
Messages
491
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
I’ve just spoken with my boy. All the horses (seven bolted) are alive. Three riders are in hospital but not very serious. When the incident happened (during what was just morning exercise) one person from the Royal Mews collected a horse from Victoria and took it back to the mews. The police caught another in Victoria and took it to the mews. My lad set off for the city in pursuit of the grey and black but was called back to the mews to deal with catastrophic bleeding. The police then drove him to Wapping where the grey and black had been caught. There were City of London police and Good Samaritans applying pressure to multiple wounds and a huge quantity of blood was pooling on the ground under the grey but none of the wounds were bleeding that briskly to account for it. The blood was coming from it’s soles. It also has serious chest and groin wounds and it’s numbers and colour are awful but no pedal bone rotation. One horse ended up on a bus by going through the windscreen. All the horses have road and glass contaminated wounds and one has a cheese grated arterial tear. No broken bones detected on X-ray but lots of torn lips and gums and all will need a thorough oral exam tomorrow. He expects they will all colic and the two that bolted to Wapping will probably tie up. He said the Met were magnificent. They provided dozens of personnel and vehicles to clear a path for the horsebox from Wapping to Knightsbridge even helpfully skittling some inconvenient bollards at Whitehall. He doesn’t know why the two that went to Wapping travelled so far. They usually just stop for a munch as soon as they come across a bit of grass. The grey is called Vida and is “a horrible, horrible horse but being quite sweet now.” Three vets are on duty and pizza has thoughtfully been sent.

Thanks for the update, the news channels just appear to be making things up (a little knowledge and all that). Everything crossed that they all pull through but I don't doubt they'll have the best of care.
 

Goldenstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 March 2011
Messages
46,285
Visit site
I felt the same, and it’s horrible that so many of the papers have chosen pictures of the grey and black horses galloping together for their front pages today. Glorifying animals in pain and terror.

My own current regular ride is a big grey, and when I was riding yesterday I kept thinking of that poor injured grey, who looks so similar to the lovely boy I was on.

I’m so glad that there were wonderful people around to help the horses, and that they’re getting top notch veterinary care. I hope all the horses can recover from their injuries, and if necessary retire to The Horse Trust.

It’s news and the reports where not glorifying anything although there was a fair bit of the incorrect use of the word carnage which I will forgive because there was a lot of blood about .
 

humblepie

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 February 2008
Messages
6,659
Visit site
Poor reporting - Daily Mail described them as rampaging across London. Ridiculous.

Have seen the update, and wishing all horses and people involved the very best.
 

dougpeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 March 2023
Messages
54
Visit site
I read it was something falling from height next to them. Enough to spook any horse although I'm surprised they ran for such a distance. Very sad and a stark to reminder to the public just how much damage a panicked horse can do. I hope all those who were injured, people and horses recover quickly.
 
Top