King’s Troop horses ran amok in Charlton this morning, causing injuries and a flood of emergency services to descend on Charlton Village.

Service personnel were hurt and an eyewitness at the scene told The Charlton Champion that one horse was taken away injured after the incident at about 10am. Other service personnel were said to be looking shaken.

One horse made it as far as Charlton Park Lane before being retrieved, hoof prints were left round Charlton Park.

It is understood the horses broke free after a motorist sounded a car horn behind them at about 10am. Ambulances were on the scene outside Charlton House for about an hour. An air ambulance arrived but left without taking a patient on board.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which is based at Woolwich Barracks, performs ceremonial duties at state occasions. It moved to the area in 2012 and the horses can regularly be seen being exercised in the neighbourhood, although training has been reduced to a minimum during the pandemic.

In February 2017, a soldier broke her neck trying to stop a gun carriage and runaway horses on exercises in Charlton Park.

An eyewitness, Anne James, had just driven through Charlton Village when she saw “a stream of horses rushing towards me”. She called an ambulance after seeing a rider fall from her horse.

“I could see that they were army horses and assumed they were running blindly because something had upset them – the clattering of their hooves at speed made quite a noise,” she told The Charlton Champion.

“Each rider led a second horse, and things were clearly out of control. There were at least a dozen horses, and some of them were slipping and sliding on the tarmac. They ran in front of my car and across the pavement, where they jumped a small wall then the boundary fence at the front of Charlton House.

“As I watched them head off across the grass, I saw one rider fall to the pavement – she held on to the reins and was dragged for a few seconds, but then let go and curled into a ball to protect herself from the horses that were still hurtling past her.”

An Army spokesperson told The Charlton Champion: “We can confirm a number of military personnel and horses from the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery were injured whilst training this morning.

“The injured personnel are receiving medical treatment and the horses are being assessed. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The pair were struck by a vehicle at the same location where three donkeys were recently killed

There’s been another fatal accident involving livestock on Roger Penny Way – the second in just over two weeks.

On 28th December two sheep died after being struck by a vehicle on the road near the crossroads to Fritham and Bramshaw.

Motorist Lisa Calvert came across the sheep just before 6pm.

“The sheep were in the road and I thought they were just trying to keep warm on the tarmac so stopped to move them on, but then when the first one didn’t get up when I opened my car door I knew instantly what had happened, then saw the other one and part of the car in the road so I managed to text my friend Jade Palmer and get her to ring the agister and come help me. As I was trying to phone Jade the furthest sheep from me died and I could see the second one was trying to get up.”

Lisa and her friend kept the second sheep still until an agister arrived on the scene.

The agister who attended, Robert Maton, has told Greatest Hits Radio Salisbury that the sheep had broken its back and the animal had to be put out of its misery.

He praised the pair for “doing the right thing and keeping the sheep calm” by covering its head with a coat.

Part of the bumper from the vehicle involved in the collision, believed to be an Audi, was found at the scene.

Lisa says there’s “no excuses” for driving off after hitting livestock and hopes the person involved will “come forward and own up to what you have done.”

“I just don’t know how anyone can live with themselves knowing the left them at the side of the road to suffer.”

Part of the bumper of the vehicle involved in the collision was found at the scene

SECOND FATAL CRASH AT SAME SPOT THIS MONTH

On December 12th three donkeys died instantly on the same spot on the B3078 after being hit by a van, on that occasion the driver did stop.

That incident lead to six organisations across the New Forest issuing a joint statement urging drivers to take extra care and to slow down.

“We appeal to drivers to please slow down on the unfenced roads of the New Forest. The Commoners’ animals are out all year round, day and night, and you should expect them to be on the roads or to step out without warning.’

YOU MUST REPORT ACCIDENTS WITH LIVESTOCK

You are legally obliged to report all accidents involving a pony, cow, donkey, pig or sheep to the Police as soon as possible, and within 24hrs at the latest. Call the Police on 999 (for an emergency) or 101 (non-emergency).