Horse Trust and British Army launch respite programme for serving military horses

The Horse Trust and the British Army have launched a new respite programme for serving military horses, giving Household Cavalry and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery horses scheduled breaks away from duty on a rotational basis. The horses spend time in the charity's pastures in Buckinghamshire before returning to service, in a scheme that follows a successful trial.

The programme was developed in response to an incident involving Household Cavalry horses in London in April 2024, after which the Army and the charity looked at how additional respite care might support horse welfare and reduce the risk of similar incidents. Early results reported by the Horse Trust point to improved horse behaviour and benefits for soldiers' safety, and the scheme was partly funded through the charity's "home for more horses" appeal, which raised £90,000.

The announcement coincides with the Horse Trust's 140th anniversary. The charity was founded in 1886 to give London's working cab horses rest and care while their owners were loaned replacement horses to keep earning a living, and it has long cared for retired military horses from the Household Cavalry, King's Troop and Metropolitan Police. The new respite scheme extends that founding mission to horses still in active service, offering a model that other organisations working with service or working horses may find useful to watch.