King Charles experienced an awkward encounter with a Shetland pony during his arrival at Balmoral Castle for his summer holiday. The 77-year-old monarch touched down in Scotland on Wednesday (19th August) to begin his stay at the royal residence, where he received a guard of honour from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, of which he serves as Colonel in Chief.
Meeting with the Royal Regiment
Throughout the visit, King Charles reviewed soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, who assumed royal guard responsibilities at Balmoral in July and are scheduled to remain until October. He was also introduced to Corporal Cruachan IV, a charming Sheltie - a horse breed which comes from the Scottish island of Shetland - serving as the regiment's mascot, who appeared on parade with his handler, Cpl Rory Stewart.
The meeting between the King and Corporal Cruachan IV was filmed and posted on X by STV News, though one uncomfortable aspect of their exchange left royal enthusiasts chuckling.
The Awkward Moment
As the monarch extended his hand to pet the pony, the animal appeared to attempt to nip him, forcing him to withdraw his hand swiftly to prevent a potentially painful mishap. One Facebook user joked: "Second most terrifying animal after a chihuahua." Someone else remarked: "Never trust a pony." A third person quipped: "Either the pony opposes the monarchy or he thinks the fibre on the King's coat is tasty."
Nevertheless, others highlighted that the pony wasn't genuinely attempting to bite King Charles, but was simply "nibbling", which is typical behaviour for horses accustomed to receiving treats from people. One person contended: "It wasn't trying to bite him, the pony thought he had a treat!" Another commented: "He's nibbling, he's just hoping for a treat." One contributor who possesses considerable experience with Shetland ponies remarked: "Haha, being from Shetland, I can promise you if he wanted to bite, he would have. That was just a warning."
King Charles Remains Composed
Whether or not he came perilously close to being nipped, the monarch remained completely composed. The footage reveals him immediately returning to stroke the pony on its nose moments following the slightly awkward encounter. One observer pointed out: "Love the way King Charles just takes it in his stride and pats the pony on its nose after - he's not stressed by it at all."
Throughout the welcoming ceremony, King Charles also received musical accompaniment from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, conducted by Sgt William Crawford and Col Sgt Joe Davies. After the procession concluded, the monarch proceeded to greet members of the public who had assembled near the gates to welcome him to his summer residence.
