Forums at Society of the Military Horse

All in aid of the British Legion (armed forces charity) too, so doubly good

Hmm. We had a lead rein pony who had to be lunged before being ridden if she'd been stabled overnight. Otherwise she bucked like hell, which wasn't very nice for a small child. But if she'd been out in the field there were no such tantrums. A lot of horses will put their backs up when you mount, hav...

Yeah - from my Pony Club days canter and gallop were always three and four beat gaits with a 'period of suspension'. The photos don't really match up to the almost spread-eagled stance favoured by old masters, though. The film of Devon Loch falling in the closing stages of the '56 Grand National has...

Not sure where you are, but there are a lot of pictures in Horse & Hound, that indicates a number of folks, including juniors, do. In the U.S. of A, it is believed you have to be a very upper level rider, before you can even try one. Jim South Wales. We jokingly call it 'cowboy' country based o...

Not round here they don't - it's gags and pelhams

Napoleonic cavalry enthusiasts might be interested in this new book, reviewed on my blog.

http://cavalrytales.wordpress.com/2013/ ... eons-army/

From the acute angles of the side boards at the rear, and just the look of the rear brass (D and cantle spoon roller) I'd say it's an Indian copy. I have a couple which are very similar. Sideboards on most genuine UPs I've looked at sit much flatter. They're quite common, and actually not bad saddle...

According to Paul Dawson's new book Au Gallop: Horses and Riders of Napoleon's Army , looping the breastplate straps over the spoon was deliberate. French hussar saddles were apparently prone to lifting in front, due to both their design and consequent positioning as well as the rider's seat. So my ...

. The breastplate has a long and a short shoulder strap, that buckle together, the long end was looped around the front spoon . The connection point of the 3 strap is covered by a heart shaped piece of leather. The holsters were looped to the front spoon , the lower ends held by rings on the breast...

Cheers, Ron!

And a Happy New Year from soaking wet Wales

Allthough this does not necessarily mean that the English saddles were made of elm, this seams likely nevertheless. Although I have no references to argue the point, I'd be wary of making this assumption. Elm was considered 'bad luck' in both army and navy because of it's extensive use for coffins,...

I seem to remember Norbert Landsheit of the 20th LD was ex-Hompesch Hussars, and a good number of their rankers transferred to or re-enlisted in British regiments. Interesting that, because I'd have thought the Kings German Legion more appropriate. 'Foreign' regiments were supposedly not allowed on ...

Hi Sandy, I really am not well posted on horse prices in either 1914 or now - perhaps John M. can help out. The sum I showed was a conversion of Pat's 1914 £30.00 using the referenced site comparison/inflation calculator. Was £30.00 a large sum for a horse in 1914? It would certainly have been a ma...

Really, all in all, the US Cavalry is remarkable for having skipped the entire Hussar/Uhlan/Lancer, etc., period in a way. It did show up a bit, particularly in militia units, but for the most part US Cavalry morphed into a type of light cavalry/dragoon/mounted infantry very quickly after being ree...

Hi Sandy, I really am not well posted on horse prices in either 1914 or now - perhaps John M. can help out. The sum I showed was a conversion of Pat's 1914 £30.00 using the referenced site comparison/inflation calculator. Was £30.00 a large sum for a horse in 1914? It would certainly have been a ma...

Pat Holscher wrote:How were you able to see it so early?

Pat, my wife won tickets to a preview screening so it was a lucky fluke, really. The film doesn't open over here until mid-January.

Merry Christmas,
Jonathan

I’ve seen Steven Spielberg’s ‘War Horse’ and it’s very, very good. I must admit I was a little unsure how Michael Morpurgo’s novel, originally aimed at children and young adults, would work on film. The theatre show has drawn rave reviews, but a movie? And based on such emotionally-charged subject m...

This saddle frame came "from the depths of Europe" some years ago. Acquired it at a car boot fair, probably came from Romania or Hungary. Doubt whether it's military. Assembled with wood dowels. No sign of fixing points for girth or stirrup leathers. I love the look of this - as if someon...

The saddle in the video reminded me of John Rufs earlier post on this thread with the plates of the Prussian Artillery Saddle of 1842. If the Prusian saddle was based on a Hungarian Hussar or Military saddle of some kind, they seem to be still making a model of it. I'm not sure if this modern versi...

Good point unclearthur and interesting saddle, Jack. John. I noticed that first saddle's sideboards were 'felted' like a UP, so who knows what lay underneath the leather covering. But the very fact suggests it's fairly modern. I wonder if they're still making traditional wood-frame Hungarian hussar...