Thirty of the Queen's horses enjoyed a run along the beach in Blackpool today after coming to the resort for a holiday.

The horses and soldiers from the Centre Section King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery are taking a break from their hectic London ceremonial calendar – with a (working) holiday in the resort.

The section are the guests of the World Horse Welfare Centre, Penny Farm, in Marton, Blackpool, and will be one of the main attractions at the centre’s open day on Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.

The King’s Troop RHA, based in St John’s Wood, central London, has 111 horses and is divided into three sections – Left, Centre and Right Section.

Its official duties, as part of the Household Troops, include the firing of royal salutes in Hyde Park on royal anniversaries and state occasions, and providing a gun carriage and team of black horses for state and military funerals. The King’s Troop also takes part in ceremonial occasions such as Remembrance Sunday, the Lord Mayor’s Show and the Queen’s Birthday Parade.

Captain Alex Markwick, of Centre Section King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, one of the 30 soldiers in Blackpool, said: “The summer camp is a valuable part of the soldiers’ and horses’ training, providing them with a respite from the normal working routine.

"Penny Farm is the perfect place to carry out this training due to the fantastic facilities and nearby beaches.

"Centre Section has close ties to the Farm, as one of the former rescue horses called Penny is now a working horse in harness pulling the ceremonial guns used by the Troop on state occasions in London.”