‘Lovely to see them galloping’: Household Cavalry and Kings Troop horses enjoy winter holiday

More than 150 horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery are enjoying their Christmas holidays in Leicestershire.

Juno and Apollo, the Household Cavalry drum horses, were the first to arrive at the Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR) in Melton Mowbray, but their equine colleagues from the two regiments were not far behind.

The Army horses have a three-week winter holiday in the DATR fields every year.

“The horses’ stay at the DATR is one of many programmed breaks from ceremonial duties enjoyed by the horses throughout the year,” an Army spokesman said..

Equine veterinary officer Captain Bowman was there to meet the horses as they arrived.

“The horses are checked by the vet before they leave London and I carry out a second check on arrival to ensure they haven’t hurt themselves during the journey and that they are able to be safely turned out,” he said.

“Just like our soldiers, the horses need a well-deserved rest. It allows them to replenish their energy and lets them gallop and walk about freely which is important from a musculoskeletal point of view. It’s lovely to see them galloping and enjoying themselves in the field.”

The DATR has been involved with military animals since 1903, when it was a remount depot helping maintain requirement for trained horses in the British mounted regiments, including during the First World War.

Some of the horses in training are expected to make their public debut on the Major General’s Inspection in the middle of April.

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