Army horses loose on London streets

I also have read about them not being treated well it’s certainly an unnatural life and to the poster who said sue the builders that’s utter nonsense they were just doing their daily job I don’t supposed they said ‘oh the horses are coming let’s all shoot the concrete out and spook them’ perhaps whoever is ‘exercising them ‘ if riding in London is exercise, should be more careful about their routes

True nightowl who knows

Perhaps because she loved them Anniebach and wanted to try to make their lives better, then found she couldn’t cope with it anymore? And is now trying to raise awareness in the hope of changing things for the better.

Who knows?

People normally stay in a job until they find another one don’t they?

Why would she want to stay looking after animals which were
mistreated

MayBee70

I’m sure there was a tv series following the household cavalry recently. Or maybe it was just part of a series which showed them getting ready for a state occasion.

There have been several documentaries about the Household Cavalry a series in 2019, there was a programme last year (2023) to name just two.

I heard that as well GSM and it was very upsetting. I also heard someone from the Army refute all Kate’s concerns but he didn’t give any detail about how they are kept, so not very convincing.

I’d like to hear that they get some turnout during the day but I think that highly unlikely in central London - no turnout is a completely unnatural life for a horse and should be seen as a welfare issue. If a dog was kept in a create 23 hours out of 24 people would be horrified and expect someone to be prosecuted - why do we allow horses, who have evolved to walk 20 or 30 miles in a day, every day, to be treated differently?

Presumably she didn’t want to be dismissed.

Wondering why whistleblower didn’t blow the whistle whilst
working with the horses

There are more horses in the British army than tanks - so much for our defence budget. Tradition is no excuse these days for keeping horses in central London for most of the year with only 1 hour of exercise a day. If we are cutting budgets maybe this area should be one for consideration.

Germanshepherdsmum

This is what a whistleblower said about the conditions in which the horses are kept.
www.lbc.co.uk/news/cavalry-horses-dirty-water-hour-exercise-shouted-whistleblower/
I find it very upsetting.

That contradicts everything I have ever heard regarding cavalry horses and their welfare.

This is what a whistleblower said about the conditions in which the horses are kept.
www.lbc.co.uk/news/cavalry-horses-dirty-water-hour-exercise-shouted-whistleblower/
I find it very upsetting.

MaizieD

P.S I'd be slightly happier if someone could tell me that the horses are kept in loose boxes. They can at least move around freely in a loose box. They can't in a stall.

In a field they are on the move, grazing, for a large part of the day.

I thought they were in loose boxes.

They are exercised early mornings along Rotten Row

I am sure that there were several automated horse walkers at the barracks/stables.

I am not entirely sure that the reports of them being in their stalls 23 hours a day are correct. Especially when you factor in grooming, tacking up, indoor arena training and riding out.

P.S I'd be slightly happier if someone could tell me that the horses are kept in loose boxes. They can at least move around freely in a loose box. They can't in a stall.

In a field they are on the move, grazing, for a large part of the day.

Callistemon21

^Speculation - and uninformed with it^

Yes.

Hyde Park alone is 350 acres.

I don't think that you are allowed to gallop horses all over Hyde Park. Or any other of the London Parks.

My 'speculation' is not uninformed; I've had horses for years.

The information I was going on was that the horses are in stalls for 23 hours a day and are out at grass for 6 weeks 'holiday' a year. This is an entirely unnatural way for them to live. As people keep pointing out, horses are sensitive creatures; they respond badly to constant incarceration.

I’m sure there was a tv series following the household cavalry recently. Or maybe it was just part of a series which showed them getting ready for a state occasion.

Speculation - and uninformed with it

Yes.

Hyde Park alone is 350 acres.

X post, I posted a link to an article about the cavalry horses, albeit it an older article.

We knew someone years ago who was Corporal of Horse; the horses were his life, probably took priority over any human being 🙂

www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/household-cavalry-pictures-618861

With defence cuts probably the amount of training that the horses get has been cut to a minimum, I’ve noticed horses in the parades that have been unsettled, as for feeding they will be fed the correct diet, not too much or too little because horses are very sensitive to being over fed, it causes endless problems
So much speculation.
The daughter of a friend, a keen horse woman, exercises cavalry horses out of Knightsbridge barracks early every morning along with other volunteers and army riders. There are many many acres of open ground even in London
Who says their exercise has been cut? Who says their daily diet has changed?
Speculation - and uninformed with it

Iam64

I’m sure they’re not overfed or fed a diet that increases the possibility of over excitement
All the kings horses and all the kings men is part of our heritage. If these horses are confined to barracks 23 hours a day maybe the military need to do as the police do and work their horses daily.
In Manchester police have a large area with stables and work arena’s, not far from the city centre. The horses are often seen in pairs being ridden through the nearby areas, they’re also driven out to other gmp areas where they’re excercise
Occasionally to the coast for a gallop on the beach
I fear Katie59 may be right and the cuts have affected the training and excercise - result, disaster as in other areas of public service

I'm not sure I agree about the diet, but I won't labour it..

The horses do appear to be worked daily, but if it's just a walk and trot for an hour around London streets combined with 23 hours of relative immobility in a stall (where they can't move around freely) it isn't nearly enough. It is about the most unnatural life they could possibly lead. They must be going crazy with the boredom and inactivity.

Then, if people are correct about experience of their riders, they may be ridden out by a novice, who, however many lessons they have had in an indoor school, is highly unlikely to have acquired much sensitivity to their horse's moods and ability to pick up on the little signs that tell you that your horse is anticipating a threat. Though, in the current case no years of experience could have compensated for a completely unexpected cascade of rubble being dropped from a height...

I'm getting quite curious about how these horses are treated, now. If there is access to an indoor school I wonder if they are ever turned out loose in the school in small groups to have a play around and a good roll...

I hope all people and horses involved in this incident will recover, both in body and mind. It was a dreadful and frightening thing to happen and they must all have been traumatised.

I have prayed for them and I expect many others have too.

From the latest update yesterday, Quaker, the black one who collided with a taxi and Vida the white one are not doing too good, they were still alive but not in very good shape.

The poor beautiful horses, all 5 of them. And it's not just their physical health but their mental health too, they should get some sort of specialist counselling.

I can't pray for them as I'm Atheist but I think of them and hope they all make a full recovery.

I’m sure they’re not overfed or fed a diet that increases the possibility of over excitement
All the kings horses and all the kings men is part of our heritage. If these horses are confined to barracks 23 hours a day maybe the military need to do as the police do and work their horses daily.
In Manchester police have a large area with stables and work arena’s, not far from the city centre. The horses are often seen in pairs being ridden through the nearby areas, they’re also driven out to other gmp areas where they’re excercise
Occasionally to the coast for a gallop on the beach
I fear Katie59 may be right and the cuts have affected the training and excercise - result, disaster as in other areas of public service