MONTREAL - Police had to intervene Saturday afternoon when a caleche horse bolted at Place D’Armes in Old Montreal after being startled by drums banged by passing protesters.

The mare was harnessed to the carriage when it took off at a gallop.

Owner Jacques Prudhomme, who was not sitting in the caleche, attempted to control his renegade steed fom the side.

Prudhomme said that the horse was startled by the nearby drumming of protesters.

The horse was eventually forced to stop after the carriage got stuck between two cars at a red light between St. Jacques and St. Francois-Xavier.

It attempted to buck at the vehicles to get free. Police then blocked the road with their vehicles.

Prudhomme detached the animal from the carriage and tied it to a lamppost for about half an hour.

Nobody was hurt in the incident.