This is the moment a King’s Guard horse nearly passes out in the scorching weather as his rider is forced to sound an emergency alarm.
The stoic serviceman appeared concerned for his trusty steed as his head continuously dropped and his tongue momentarily emerged from his mouth.
Meanwhile, worried tourists looked on as the King’s Guard quickly and firmly pressed an emergency button as his horse struggled in the sweltering 30C heat on Monday.
Britain has seen repeated heatwaves this summer, with the country having now experienced the same number of 30C days in 2026 as in the infamous year of 1976.
The footage, taken on July 12, shows the guardsman, dressed in a bright scarlet wool tunic and dark trousers, and his horse briefly waiting for another service member.
Then, after a tourist quickly takes an opportunity to take a picture with the horse, a soldier emerges from behind the gates to help.
After he tends to the alarm, the soldier leads the horse and rider from their post outside of the Household Cavalry Museum in London to the safety of the shade.
The horse’s legs appeared to be unsteady in the heat as it vanished behind the gates in Whitehall.
A King’s Guard appeared to become concerned as his horse became overheated in the 30C heat in central London
Posted on guard outside the Household Cavalry Museum in central London, the guardsman pressed the emergency button for assistance
The footage, which has garnered over 200,000 views, left many viewers shocked, with one writing: ‘This shouldn’t be happening.’
Another questioned: ‘Does it take five business days to answer the damn emergency buzzer?’
‘Traditional or not, common sense prevails – it’s too flipping hot for both horse and human,’ one quipped.
‘Shouldn’t be doing it period,’ an onlooker added. ‘About time the guarding of the King evolved.’
Another viewer said: ‘This has to stop, it’s too hot.’
‘I love England, but I don’t understand why the show continues,’ one wrote as another branded it ‘absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary’.
It comes after a King’s Guard horse became agitated in front of a crowd of tourists amid the May Day heatwave two month ago.
Tourists scrambled out of the way as the steed appeared to be distressed in the scorching heatwave.
Footage captured the moment the horse suddenly began circling outside Horse Guards Parade in central London, tossing its head and stamping around in front of stunned crowds.
The visibly agitated animal appeared increasingly uncomfortable as temperatures soared on what became the hottest May Bank Holiday ever recorded in the UK.
A soldier emerged from behind the gates to assist the rider and his steed, guiding them to the safety of the shade
Holidaymakers clutching phones and cameras could be seen backing away as the horse moved erratically near the barriers.
Meanwhile, others continued trying to snap pictures beside the ceremonial guard despite the animal’s obvious distress.
In a rare break from strict protocol, another guard was seen emerging from the Horse Guards Building to calm the horse down, gently stroking it and attempting to settle it before it was eventually led away from the heat.