A Royal Guard horse bit a tourist who decided to take a photo with it (7 photos + 6 videos)
A video of a British Royal Guards horse that bit a careless American tourist and scared her to death has gone viral on social media. Don't come so close! 
The woman shouts: “Oh! Help, she grabbed my hand!”
Neither the royal guard in the saddle nor the second soldier standing nearby react to the situation in any way. As a result, other tourists standing nearby came to the aid of the unfortunate woman. They gently patted the horse on the nose so that it would loosen its grip.
Tourists regularly besiege the royal guards on duty and pose next to them, trying to get as close to the horse as possible.
Although considered by many to be a tourist attraction, the Royal Guard is made up of elite soldiers tasked with protecting the life and property of the monarch. They are generally not allowed to interact with the public, but may shout at people if they get too close or draw bayonets if they become aggressive.
Kus!
Soldiers must not be distracted from their duties—bathroom breaks are prohibited during a two-hour shift—and will ignore anyone who gets in their way. Tourists can take photos, but armed officers standing nearby will intervene if onlookers get too close or act disrespectfully.
A sign on the wall warns that horses are not your toys.
“Be careful, horses may kick or bite, don’t touch the reins.”
The above case of a horse’s defensive behavior is not an isolated one. Here are some more examples.
The woman placed her hand on the animal's neck as she posed for a photo. After being bitten, she staggers back in shock and almost falls, but manages to lean on the wall behind her.
The woman decided to pet the horse and raised her hand when the horse tilted its head. But at that moment the animal bit her on the sleeve of her jacket and began to pull, more and more aggressively.
Fortunately, everything worked out fine. The tourist escaped with a slight fright
And sometimes it is not the horse that demonstrates defensive behavior, but its rider.
In September 2023, a tourist walked too close to a horse and was hit by a guard.
Don't interfere, they tell you. Don't touch the reins!
In another incident last year, a woman lashed out at a royal guard for pushing her out of the way while performing his duties. She stood in his way. The foot Kingsguard asked the woman to move away, but instead she moved even closer to the Horse Guards. When the guardsman who had given her an earlier warning headed back towards the gate, she moved directly across him. He shouted “Make way!” and pushed the woman aside with his hand, which infuriated her.
She turned to the crowd for support and began asking if they had seen what happened, to which she was told: “He asked you to move away and you didn’t.”
But not all incidents involve aggression.
For example, a couple of elderly military veterans encountered the apparent friendliness of the Royal Guard in 2022. They walked over and stood next to the Horse Guardsman to take a photograph. But not too close to him, so as not to interfere.
He himself moved the horse closer to them and allowed the woman to stroke the horse's nose. The old people were very happy. And the shots turned out great.
