That photograph is pretty grim.
You know, I'm looking at the horse body language. Notice that all the horses' necks are strained and waaaaay up, showing throats and chests clearly. The reins are tight on all the horses, too...and subsequent photos look like the horses are stumbling and tripping. One rider looks like he's struggling to stay aboard.
This is telling me that the horses stampeded. Which, for police horses, is pretty damned rare. *Something* set them off somehow. Again, pretty rare for police horses...their desensitizing programs are pretty strenuous and rigorous.
And also note that from what the photos show, the horses are doing their best to not step on the humans. Horses have an instinctive hesitation to step on people - not because they know they're people, but because it's poor footing (and tends to scream, which is problematic, LOL). While do see one horse stepping directly on a person, it also looks like it's trying to not put weight on that hoof.
However, having been stepped on innumerable times, and in one horrible instance trampled inside a trailer (got knocked out...and knocked out of the trailer, too...I woke up UNDER the trailer; apparently I rolled under it to avoid my horse; I don't remember most of the incident), horses weigh a LOT, and their hooves/shoes are sharp. And I don't envy any one who finds themselves on the underside of a horse...
I really wonder what happened - for one horse to spook and stampede is one thing; having a bad day, teeth issue, gear issue...but to have ALL of them go off? Energy must've been very high, and something *really* set them off.
(I should say that I still have the horse who used me as a rug, and love him dearly...he is very, very high strung, though...bless his beanhead heart).
I hope all victims and horses are all right. And yes, Nova, since 1650. LOLOL.
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