Saluting Major Mercury, the Queen’s Drumhorse as he took part in the Tattoo at Edinburgh.
Drumhorses “have to be quite calm and love the public attention. Mercury here is probably one of our strongest drum horses. The State Drums are solid silver and weigh 100 kg, which means that on special occasions the horses are expected to carry a quarter of a ton, including rider and kit, for up to nine hours. ,,,,,,,,,
Mercury  …….. is a gentle giant, but when we visit the beach in Norfolk he swims like mad – he loves it. Like all the drum horses, he’s named after a god of classical mythology, and can only have his feathers and forelock pulled or cut if Her Majesty says so, so they are never cut. When he has his state kit and all his finery on, he is ranked as a major and everyone should salute him, except the commanding officer.