Stray horses force closure of busy M25 this morning

Three loose horses on the M25 in Essex halted rush hour traffic this morning.

The horses had strayed from a field beside the M25 between junctions 27 and 28. They were wandering across the anti-clockwise carriageway when the Highways Agency, responsible for policing the M25, were alerted.

“We received a call around 8.35am, and were able to attend immediately and close off both carriageways,” a spokesman from the Highways Agency told H&H.

“With the help of Essex police we rounded the horses up and put them back in the field.”

The M25 was reopened by 9.30am, and Highways Agency contractors repaired the fence to stop the three horses straying again.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now