A woman has told how she was left with a "big bruise" after she was bitten by a King's Guard horse after a tourist posing for a photo was also grabbed by the hair.
Kirsty Curtis, 43, got too close to the animal in Horse Guards Parade in St James's Park, London, when she was bitten on the arm.
She suffered bruising and pain from the bite but did not require hospital treatment, she said, while being keen not to blame the horse.
The incident happened in the same spot where a horse clamped down on a woman's ponytail as she posed for a photo next to the animal.
Mrs Curtis was visiting London with her husband Nigel, 59, and her dad Charles and, while walking through Whitehall after attending PMQs in Parliament, she was bitten.
She told The Mirror how they had travelled down to London for a family trip and then later in the day went to Parliament.
"We had gone to London with my father Charles who used to work in the stock market and we were taking him back to prod his memory of the area where he used to live in Walthamstow and see how things have changed in the financial area," said Kirsty.
After seeing PMQs they then decided to return via Whitehall where the incident with the horse happened.
"We went to the Whitehall area and there’s the horse so we queued like all the other tourists - I’m an animal lover, said Kirsty.
"And then came my turn to stand next to it. Suddenly it turned its head and bit my arm, I didn’t do anything to provoke it.
"It did hurt quite a bit as they have big teeth and I was left with a big bruise. But it’s not the horses fault, they are working at the end of the day and it is one of those things. If you get too close, you can pay the price."
Mrs Curtis has warned any tourists travelling to London for the King's Coronation next weekend to be careful when posing for photos and avoid getting too close to King's Guard horses.
"I would say to people who are coming for the coronation to be careful and keep your distance," she added.
Her husband Nigel said the incident could have been "a lot worse" but luckily his wife was okay - and since then, they have laughed about it.
He even saved the picture of his wife being bitten as his phone screensaver, but said that despite them finding the incident funny, people should be careful as horses are working.
Meanwhile this week a video emerged of a horse biting a woman's ponytail as she posed for a photo at the Horse Guards Parade.
Just at the spot, there is a sign reading: "Beware. Horses may kick or bite! Thank you."
The clip shows the horse swinging its head towards the woman as she stands with her back towards the animal.
It then bites on her hair before she manages to break free and move away from the horse.
And earlier this month, a video emerged on social media showing a King's Guard screaming at a tourist who put her arm around him while taking a photo outside Buckingham Palace.
The clip, which was shared on TikTok account @thekingsguardsofficial, shows a woman smiling next to a guard dressed in full armour.
But after touching the guard and getting too close to him, the tourist was told off, appearing scared and surprised at his reaction.
In the footage, the guard, holding a large sword, can be seen stamping his foot and turning towards the woman before shouting: "Do not touch the King's Life Guard!"
