13 photos that have us longing to decamp to Holkham Beach

The Knightsbridge based Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) has temporarily moved 133 horses and 250 men to Bodney Camp in Norfolk, their home for the next two weeks, while they conduct their annual Regimental Training Camp. The prospect of some time in the country away from the rigours of ceremonial duty is the highlight of the Cavalry year. But this is no holiday. It may look and feel like fun but the Norfolk Regimental Training Camp is an exacting regime of equestrian and military skills, building bonds between horse and rider, and improving the prowess of professional fighting soldiers. Bodney Camp and the North Norfolk coast provide the open space to enable a wide range of training to take place which would be impossible to deliver in central London. The Cavalrymen will undergo advanced riding techniques, weapons handling, farriery training, military fitness tests, participate in tent pegging, sword, lance and pistol drill, cross country riding and show jumping. But the highlight for everyone is the Beach Ride at Holkham where the normally immaculate icons of Britain get to be salt soaked sea horses for the day. Captain Russell Bond said: "Some of the horses may never have seen the sea before, and for them this is a test of bravery and trust between horse and rider. The sea is also a great environment for them to exercise in as it works muscles in the same way as pool pilates and is a lot of fun! "A good horse for us needs to be cool, calm, collected and obviously look good. Bringing them here exposes the horses to new things and helps with their confidence and abilities to cope with anything thrown at them back in London." Photographer Sgt Paul Randall RLC

(Image credit: Sgt Paul Randall RLC)

It's that time of year again, when photos of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment splashing through the sea in North Norfolk are splashed across the national newspapers — a sure-fire sign that summer has arrived

A well earned break: the trip to Norfolk comes after a hectic few months in London, including The Queen’s Birthday Parade and the Spanish state visit

Swapping tarmac for sand, the annual trip to Holkham in North Norfolk is a change of scene for soldiers and horses alike

The daily routine on the regimental training camp is a little different to their average day in London at Hyde Park Barracks…

Cool, calm and collected — even while on the beach

Swimming with the horses is just one of an extensive line up of activities on the regiment’s summer camp, including tent-pegging, showjumping and cross-country

Thrown in the deep end? Riding on the beach is a fast-track way of exposing the men and horses to new experiences

The odd one out: most of the regiment’s horses are black, apart from those ridden by the trumpeters, which are traditionally grey

Hold on tight: 90% of troopers have never ridden before they join the Household Cavalry

Getting the horses from London to Bodney Camp in Thetford, Norfolk is a logistical operation in itself — uprooting 133 horses and 250 men, plus their kit

A spectator sport? Crowds ditch their buckets and spades to get a glimpse of the action

The trip out of London gives the chance for troopers to bond with their mounts in a different environment

Trooper Van Vwran stands with horses of The Queen’s Life Guard on the beach

Not all sun and sea: while these images have become something of a staple during the British summer, the iconic splash in the sea is a breather from a busy schedule in Norfolk, perfecting their equestrian and military skills

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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.