Runaway horse retires from military service

A military horse that bolted through central London after being startled by construction work has retired to the country.

Quaker, 15, was one of five Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment horses spooked when rubble was dropped through a plastic tunnel while they were on an exercise in Belgravia on 24 April last year.

Footage of the frightened animals was broadcast worldwide after being captured by a BBC cameraman covering the Post Office Inquiry.

Service personnel were thrown from their horses and the animals ran loose, smashing into vehicles, including a double-decker bus, resulting in a number of injuries.

Maj Thomas Stewart said Quaker was the only horse of the five that was unable to return to the Household Cavalry

Quaker suffered bleeding and a small break during the incident. After receiving surgery, he stayed with the Horse Trust at its sanctuary in Buckinghamshire.

Quaker's rider broke his back when he was thrown off but after a year in recovery he was able to return to his duties and is riding again.

Maj Thomas Stewart, Life Guards squadron leader, said Quaker was the only horse from the five that had been unable to return to its duties.

Household Cavalry horses Trojan, Tennyson, Vanquish and Vida have all returned to duty.

"It was decided that actually it was best for [Quaker's] welfare that he wasn't going to come back to us down in London," he said.

"It's better for him that he's here and enjoys it while he's here."

Jeanette Allen, CEO of the Horse Trust, said Quaker's retirement involved eating, sleeping and running around "when he feels like it".

"We were founded nearly 140 years ago by a lady who read Black Beauty, and she was inspired to help London's cab horses," she said.

"Respite for London's working horses is where we started and over time we started retiring military horses."

Quaker will spend the rest of his days at the Buckinghamshire sanctuary

Lt Col Matt Woodward, commanding officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, said what happened in April last year was unusual, because "the horses got lost".

"They were at a place called Wilson Crescent," he explained. "They came around the crescent the wrong way and exited on the east side.

"Had they exited on the north side they'd have gone back to Hyde Park and probably everything would have been fine.

"It's just unfortunate they went around the crescent to Victoria and a couple of them made it to Limehouse - which is a long way."

The Horse Trust is the permanent home for 32 former military horses, 26 of which have served with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

As well as taking in horses at the end of their working life, the trust offers a respite scheme where military and police horses can take "short breaks and summer holidays" and return to duty refreshed.

The Horse Trust spends about £2.5m a year caring for its horses, and is mostly funded by donations.