Tourist ‘faints’ after being bitten by King’s Guard horse on Whitehall

A female tourist was shocked to be bitten by a horse from the King's Guard as she tried to pose for a photo on Whitehall in central London.

Footage posted online shows the moment the woman, wearing a black baseball cap and a Pink Floyd T-shirt, cries out in pain as the unsettled animal turns and gets hold of her right arm.

She then crouches down on the ground and later appears to faint near the Household Cavalry Museum.

Visitors standing close by check her injuries, which do not look serious, as she fades in and out of consciousness.

A sign behind the animal and its rider in the video reads: “Beware, horse may kick or bite. Don’t touch the reins, thank you.”

Tourists are warned of the risks of getting too close to the horses.

In a statement the Army added: “Whilst every effort is made to ensure public safety, horses may bite or kick.

“We continue to remind the public to adhere to the very clear warning signs and maintain a safe distance.”

Other footage uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok show a string of similar incidents.

Horse behaviour expert Suzanne Rogers said: “These horses are highly trained but they are made to stand in a small area for long periods of time.

“So it might not be what the tourists themselves did - it might be the result of a lot of triggers.

“It’s interesting because there’s a sign directly next to the horse that says the horses may bite or kick and ‘please don’t touch the reins’.

“Maybe they should say ‘please don’t touch any part of the horse’, because it’s being in that close proximity to multiple people over a long period that the horses can, feel very uncomfortable with.”