LONDON Buckingham Palace on Sunday acknowledged that horses of Queen Elizabeth's royal guard are occasionally drugged to ensure against surprise outbursts during ceremonies. It is only done when the horse is inexperienced and a bit bouncy and skittish. It is not normal practice. It doesn't happen all the time, a palace spokesman said in response to a charge by an animal rights organization.

The queen was aware of the practice, he said, adding, the queen always takes an interest in the welfare of the horses. It is only on very, very rare occasions that a young horse might be given a mild sedative, such as when it must remain immobile or pull the royal carriage for a public ceremony, the spokesman added. I am astounded, said Jonathan Owen, of the World Society for the Protection of Animals. You shouldn't use these horses if you can't train them properly.

Horses can be trained humanely, Owen added. Saying the animals are young and frisky is no excuse. You should not use sedatives as a shortcut to make them stand as still as a statue for the purposes of royal spectacle. Other animal rights groups called attention to unpredictable long-term effects, and to the risk that the animals could develop a dependency on the drugs, which they are given in their food.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said the army's mounts are never drugged, even before royal ceremonies. (AFP)