AIBU Kings Guard horse bit tourist

She must have startled the horse and he's given her a nip. It was entirely her own fault.

No you are not being unreasonable.

I think she got what she deserved and I hope the trooper does not get into trouble for it.

There are many, many clips on YouTube which shows the dreadful way the horses and riders are treated. People seem to think it’s ok to grab reins, stroke the horse near the eyes and so on.

The horses and the riders are very tolerant.

I hope the bite hurt 🤬

It's a pity a few more idiots aren't bitten.

If you watch the reels on FB it’s happening all the time.
The horses know when it’s a vulnerable person. You can see the horse allowed the person to touch them.

Whethertomorrow

No you are not being unreasonable.

I think she got what she deserved and I hope the trooper does not get into trouble for it.

There are many, many clips on YouTube which shows the dreadful way the horses and riders are treated. People seem to think it’s ok to grab reins, stroke the horse near the eyes and so on.

The horses and the riders are very tolerant.

I hope the bite hurt 🤬

I don't think that he will get into any trouble for it, and he definitely should not!
I hope it hurt, too. It's her own bloody fault and might - but probably won't - teach her an important lesson!!

A while ago I was slightly addicted to these videos. Then I realised the horses were also being videoed as were the tourists pretty much most of the time. So I stopped watching.

It is about time that those poor horses well left in peace and the public kept away from them. They and their riders are at work and should not be subjected to harassment. It is not a petting zoo.

Good! There are signs up which warn you that the horses may kick or bite, but anyone with an ounce of common sense would realise that in any case. I think many tourists just think the horses (and riders) are just there as some kind of tourist attraction/photo opportunity, but they are there in a working capacity.

The amazing thing is the ones who are nipped and then immediately try to snuggle up to the horse again. I can only presume they have never been properly bitten by a horse. And what about the parents who plant their small child next to the horse and walk off to take the photo. The Cavalry Black is a big animal. It only has to turn its head or step sideways and a small child could be quite badly hurt. Would they leave the child next to a strange dog? The one to watch is Ormonde - he takes no prisoners.

keepingquiet

A while ago I was slightly addicted to these videos. Then I realised the horses were also being videoed as were the tourists pretty much most of the time. So I stopped watching.

Sorry keepingquiet, I don't understand. You were addicted to videos of tourists and the horse guards until you realised that both were being filmed?

Anyway, serves the tourist right. I hope it hurt.

These horses come on holiday to Norfolk every summer. They gallop on the beaches and swim in the sea. Fantastic sight!

There is an open day where the public can meet horses and soldiers. They have temporary stables and many of them have signs on saying”This Horse Bites” but I have still seen people trying to stroke them or feed them carrots. They all think they are Horse Whisperers. 🤣

Primrose53

These horses come on holiday to Norfolk every summer. They gallop on the beaches and swim in the sea. Fantastic sight!

There is an open day where the public can meet horses and soldiers. They have temporary stables and many of them have signs on saying”This Horse Bites” but I have still seen people trying to stroke them or feed them carrots. They all think they are Horse Whisperers. 🤣

They all think they are Horse Whisperers.

🤣🤣

I saw the vid on Facebook and have watched several of tourists in effect harassing the horses. There’s clear signage saying don’t touch the reigns, horses my bite but so many tourists ignore the advice
It’s stressful for these beautiful creatures to stand long periods with a stream of people getting in their space. Maybe there needs to be an area around horse and rider where no one can step

These videos often come up on my YouTube feed and I cannot believe how disrespectful some tourists are,
I watched one today, where a crowd of foreign schoolchildren were making fun of a female guard. The teacher took offense at her pupils being told off, when instead, she should have been keeping an eye on her pupils' unacceptable behaviour.

Then on the opposite side is the lovely kindness of the soldiers (and horses) when a handicapped person approaches quietly. The soldiers often allow the horse to approach them and let the person gently touch the horse. There is usually a lot of thanks from the person and their careers.

Iam64

I saw the vid on Facebook and have watched several of tourists in effect harassing the horses. There’s clear signage saying don’t touch the reigns, horses my bite but so many tourists ignore the advice
It’s stressful for these beautiful creatures to stand long periods with a stream of people getting in their space. Maybe there needs to be an area around horse and rider where no one can step

Maybe there needs to be an area around horse and rider where no one can step

Considering the stupidity and disrespectful arrogance of some individuals, I think that is a very good idea.

I was just about to say the same. The King's Guard should really be fenced off because people are so damn rude and disrespectful. We have entered an era of me me me, where idiots think they can do whatever they wish. There is no consideration or respect for others. They should put the guards and their horses behind a rope or fence, with an immediate £100 fine for anyone stepping over.

I've only just seen the video!

The horse had already nipped two people and its ears were flat to its neck. It was a very angry horse, but perhaps only horsey people would recognise that. And, although the sign was clear, not all tourists can read English..

I absolutely felt the bite because I was bitten by our mare when she had a young foal and was trying to warn off the horse I was riding. She got me by mistake and it was very, very painful.

I felt sorry for the girl who was bitten, she couldn't help being ignorant and I knew how much it must have hurt.

It surely must be time that there is a barrier between the guards and the public . It would be sad to lose the horses, which I could see people might start asking for, but horses and crowds of ignorant people don't mix well.

They were VERY lucky the horse only nipped them.
Going back to the video clips of military horses bolting through London after being startled by noise, they looked hugely powerful and one even smashed the windscreen of a bus and trashed another vehicle.
So you would imagine people would use common sense: horses, and animals in general, are not bloody toys.

It has become utterly ridiculous how tourists behave around these soldiers. They crowd around the horses and prod them, ignoring signs that the horse is unsettled, ignore the signage about the risks, even try and yank on the reins to get the horse to turn for the perfect selfie. Honestly many seem to think they are in Disneyland and expecting entertainment and not at a military base.

I have seen some of the youtube videos - even today the police were having to step in as people refused to move even when asked by the soldiers. Some tourists were pushing their kids in for photos in front of clearly unsettled and skittish horses even when the police said no.

I'm not sure what the solution is. I cannot see a way of fencing the horses in and maintaining the traditional access to the guard boxes and Horse Guards' Parade.

Glad she got bit. Those horses are working so people shouldn't go anywhere near them . It's like people who pat guide and assistance dogs. They are in work mode when in harness or have their coat on. Leave animals alone when they are working.
In fact never touch or go near an animal unless you ask the owners permission. If you get bit it's their own fault.

What has happened to common sense 🤷

These men and horses may look decorative but they are also working as security protection. Putting rope barriers near them to keep off visitors could cause problems if they had to move forward or change position suddenly if a clear security risk arose, say, if someone looked as if they were going to do arm to someone or something, or the hoses were spooked by a sudden noise.

If the public are allowed to get close to a horse to have a photo taken there should be a person at the horses head to stop any incident happening. Many horses are prone to biting, Shetland ponies are amongst the worst, it’s part of the tourist experience to take a selfie or photo in a place or situation.

Either dont allow close approach or enable it to be done safely, signs are not enough, a bite or kick could result in serious injury, however well intentioned any activity must be done safely.

Monica is right that barriers wouldn't do for the reasons she gives.. A broad red line painted on the pavement in front of them with Stop written on it might do the trick. I had no idea this happened.