Incident sees King’s Troop horses scatter across Charlton
An incident this morning has seen a number of horses from the King’s Troop scatter injuring a total of six people.
An air ambulance landed outside Charlton House around an hour ago (10:30am) at the time of writing.
Normally there’s a steady trot when the horses from woolwich barracks pass by .. today sounded like the Grand National as a few had got loose and we’re going full pelt through Charlton Village #wildhorses #horses pic.twitter.com/HBesI8G62G
— What The Butler Wore (@WTBWvintage) January 11, 2021
The horses are based in Woolwich barracks and regularly seen around the area. Reports from a number of people state the horses bolted with sightings in Charlton Village, parks in Charlton and Cherry Orchard estate.
Emergency services are on the look out.
The MOD recently announced plans to close Woolwich Barracks but retain the King’s Troop at Napier Barracks.
Wonder what happened. My husband was out walking and an Ambulance roared behind them and sounded the sirens and all the horses were startled. Maybe to do with that. Poor horses
The horses broke free after a motorist sounded their horn behind them at about 10am, causing them to bolt.
The driver deserves to be banned from driving for the ‘chaos’ s/he caused.
Yes that is what happen YS a lot of witnesses have said who were in Charlton Village at the time.
A felllow local journalist site shows a poor horse hanging over the little wall to the front of Charlton House.
This driver does not only deserved to be banned from driving he deserves to be sentenced to Prison for dangerous driivng and endangering life.
I’d rather put said driver behind the horse. He’ll get a hoof up the bottom that way.
A very shocking incident my thoughts are with members of the Kings Troop and Army Personnel at Woolwich Barracks.
I hope those that were injuresd all make a full recovery along with any horses that were hurt in this incident.
I am siure there will be a full enquiry in to tnis incident by both the Police and the Army.
I hope someone got that driver’s number plate.
On the other hand, should the army be walking three-quarter ton animals through the streets when they can’t control them when startled?
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the driver’s behaviour in this case, it’s not like sudden noises are unusual in London.
They have been doing this every day since the Troop moved to Woolwich.
The horses are used to normal traffic noise and moving vehicles.
They come down my road 2 times each week.
Some idiot sounding their horn is not a normal thing.
They are a magnificent sight and long may their daily exercise continue.
Totally agree Chris L I love seeing the Kings Troop exercising the horses around the area. Long may they continue and long may the Kings Troop remain at Woolwich Barracks.
Our fine men and women in the forces on horseback are more than capable of handling their horses, but not everyone can predict behaviours. As said, the army and the police have had horses in London – with all associated city noise – for donkey’s years.
The onus is on drivers to stop being silly and just be patient for a while.
Hi John, its in the Highway Code not to beep at animals on the roadway and for motorists to be especially careful if horses are on roadways. If someone beeped it was reckless and ignorant. Chris L is right. It’s true the kings troop horses are trained to be especially steady in traffic and they’ve been in london for years without trouble. They used to be based in St John’s Wood which is slap bang in central london. If a motorist scared them she/he was putting the lives of the horses, the army and other road users including pedestrians at risk.
A moped rider was kicked to the ground as he tried to pass a string of horses – https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13738119/moped-rider-kicked-to-ground-by-horse/ – poetic justice.