A ‘special moment’ as cavalry horse who galloped loose through London joins colleagues for a beach trip – and swim

Summer’s here and it’s time to get to the beach – including for the Household Cavalry horses and riders.

Members of the Life Guards have been on Hayling Island beach, Hampshire, to “conduct a day of equine training in a new environment, and have a lot of fun in the process”.

“On such a warm day it wasn’t long before all the horses and riders were in the waves,” an Army spokesperson said.

“A special moment was when Vida, the grey horse whom the regiment has worked all year to rehabilitate after suffering serious injury when he bolted in London in April 2024, overcame his fear of the water and went for a swim.”

The spokesperson said the horses, and riders, have had a busy season so far, in which they have led the VE Day 80th anniversary celebration procession, and The King’s “magnificent” birthday parade, so they deserved a day at the beach.

But the training has a serious side too.

“It’s being able to cope with sudden change that makes for a great partnership in the saddle,” the spokesperson said. “A calm horse is an experienced horse and one less likely to buck and unseat its rider while on duty at the first sight of an unfurled umbrella or at the sound of a siren.

“The beach with its constantly moving water is the perfect place in which to accustom horses to change and to build trust and bonds between horse and rider.

“At first the youngest horses were very uncertain when they found the surface yielding and uneven. The sounds were very different from Knightsbridge Barracks, and then there was that salty tang of the sea and the screech of gulls.

“Learning to be brave when you’re confronted with something unknown is a big step in building the resilience these horses need for the big parades.”

The horses and riders will now prepare for events such as the visit of the French president next month.

“Riding on sand will allow The Life Guards to practise the complex moves they’ll need to use on the forthcoming state visit, safely, as if they do fall, it’s a soft landing!” the spokesperson said.

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