I simply cannot resist to share this picture of a Soviet border troops on the Soviet-Chinese border (outpost Horgos) in Kazakhstan, in January, 1984. Soviet border guard was not a part of the Army, it was an agency within the KGB.
For a details on equipment please refer to the Soviet Army Cavalry manual of 1953 which I posted here a while back. Although it seems that horse in a front has snaffle bridle.
Author: Yuriy Kuydin, reporter for RIA Novosti (http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#482282)