Taken from the napoleon series forum Sephen Summerfeild is the author
Frederick the Great had the finest cavalry of his day and won many of his greatest victories due to their feats of arms including at Kesseldorf, Rossbach and Zorndorf. His cavalry rode with a natural seat.
In 1740, Frederick the Great ordered that cuirassier horses were no larger than 15.3 hands (160 cm), and dragoon horses were 15.2 hands (157 cm). This was smaller than Norman and Flemish mounts used by French cuirassiers and dragoons who could not move faster than a trot. In 1751, Frederick the Great had also stipulated that black or almost black horses were to be reserved for the Cuirassiers. It was common practice among a number of regiments to mount squadrons on horses of the same colour as in other countries. Trumpeter were often mounted upon greys.
Before 1806, horses for hussars and dragoons were bought mainly in Moldavia (now part of northern Rumania), those for cuirassiers in Holstein and Mecklenburg of Northern Germany. The horse breeding areas of Prussia were the former Polish territory of West and South Prussia (now part of Poland) and East Prussia.
The best horses come from centuries old horse breeding country of East Prussia where there was very little arable farming. Hanoverian and Mecklenburg horses were bigger and more powerful than the East Prussian horses but were softer and less enduring. The Rhineland provinces where properties were divided into small plots according to the French law of inheritance that prevailed in these areas produced very poor horses. Horses of the hussar regiments were about 14.3 hands (150 cm) of whatever colour available from Poland, Russia, Moldavia and Wallachia (now Rumania).
Six to eight year old horses would be purchased but four year olds were sometimes acceptable and served for about nine to ten years. About two third of the horses were geldings, and the rest mares. Stallions were the exception due to their uncontrollable nature especially when mares were in season. In the Prussian army, manes and tails of the horse were not cut unlike their British counterparts.
A man can carry about a third of his own weight and a horse about a quarter. In 1888, GM Rosenberg who was Inspector General of Prussian Cavalry stated that cavalry carrying more than 230 lbs were fit for nothing. Weight ruins horses and multiplies empty files (Tylden, 1980).
The depots for purchase and training of cavalry horses were East Prussia (6), Brandenburg (1), and Pommerania (2). In 1815, a depot was set up in Posen and another in Saxony. Each depot had several farms that provided the greatest part of the forage and covered most of the yearly expense. Young horses, purchased as three year olds, would be stabled from 1 October to 1 May and then fed in the meadows during the rest of the year. The daily ration in peacetime was 8 lb of oats and 11 lb of hay or 15 lb of chopped straw. Green forage was given whenever possible. Hay was always provided in preference to straw. Horses were considered prime for military use between seven and fourteen years. In 1806, Napoleon re-mounted a large proportion of his cavalry with captured Prussian and Saxon horses.
The 1796 Regulations and reiterated in the 1812 Regulations underlined the officers responsibility for supervising the care of horses and if the horses of a squadron were found to be in poor condition when on the march, the squadron commander was made accountable. NCOs inspected the horses of the men under their charge daily. Therefore the Prussians like most of the German states exhibited superior treatment of their horses compared to the French. This is shown by the 2nd Combined Hussars (formed from the 3rd (Brandenburg) and 5th (Pommeranian) Hussars) still having a high proportion of mounted men at the crossing of the Beresina in 1812. They used their sabres to force their crossing of 180 paces in five hours. Time of war and especially after the disasters of 1812, horses whatever their colour and origin were used.
In an effort to assure there were sufficient horses, Scharnhorst had instigated the continual identification of all appropriate horses. Once the need arose, the appropriate orders were made and the horses flowed into the depots. The treasury was unable to pay for this so the provinces provided much of the funding. Interestingly, the procurement of horses had been assisted by Napoleon who arranged for 6000 horses in Warsaw, 2700 in Posen, 3000 in Glogau, and 3500 in Berlin. Many of these found their way into the Prussian and Russian armies when Eugene withdrew from the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Prussia. On 1 February 1813, each regiment was instructed to bring its strength of horses to 751 horses.
In 1815, Prussian cavalry was beset by a shortage of manpower and a lack of horses. The remount depots had already been emptied by the demands of the 1813-14 campaigns. The Poles being the traditional source of light cavalry horses were reluctant to sell horses almost at any price. The King threatened to requisition horses if they were not sold at a fair price. Therefore, most regiments did not start the campaign with the establishment of 450 horses.
Holstein Horse
The Holstein Horse is believed to date back to the 13th century. The horse was bred on the right bank of the River Elbe on the excellent alluvial pastureland. Between 16th and 18th centuries the breed was held in high regard especially in France. Usually brown colouring, the Holstein is a fine, strong animal with good legs, free action, endurance and gait. The Holstein was most prized for the cuirassier regiments who could weigh upwards of 440 lbs including his armour. The Holstein was 15.1 to 16.1 hands and 1300-1550 pounds. Their endurance was renowned and enabled 6th Dragoons at Soor in 1745 to charge across a ravine, then up a steep slope of the Graner Koppe and so on to the valley beyond.
East Prussian (Trakehner)
The East Prussian horse is considered by many as the finest of all German breeds. East Prussia was the largest German horse-breeding centre until the end of the Second World War. In 1732, Frederick William I founded the Trakehnen Stud. The breeding stock came from Royal Studs and importing high class Arabs from Prince Radziwill's Stud at Taurogi in Poland. The Trakehnen Stud lay in the north-western part of East Prussia overlooking the beautifully drained pastures well supplied with calcium (lime) and phosphorus to give horses good bone. The East Prussian horse (Trakehnen) is a beautiful and good tempered animal, well ribbed, standing about 16 hands with strong back and having a very good action. The horse came from local and Schweiken origin improved by Arabs and English Thoroughbreds. In the Trakenhnen Stud, the service period was towards the end of November and the foals were left with their dams until 15 weeks old. As three year olds they were sent to the training establishments where they remained for about a year. As four year olds they were submitted for trials and the best were retained for breeding in the Trakehnen Stud, the second best to State studs and the third class to private breeders. Those who did not pass were castrated and sent as remounts to the army.
Polish Horses
The Polish Arab is grey, chestnut or bay standing about 14.3 hands and weighed 880 to 1100 pounds. As horses can carry 25-30% of their own weight could carry 220-265 pounds. It looks similar to the Arab but has a more sloping quarters and tail carried lower. It has a bold, spirited and intelligent temperature like the Arab.
German Heavy Draft Horses
The Oldenburg is the heaviest of the German "warm-blood" breeds standing at 16.2 to 17 hands. It was not hardy type and lacked endurance. Frederick forbid its use as a cavalry horse. It has a straight plain head, strong shoulder, deep girth and relatively short legs with a bold, kind and sensible nature. The German Heavy Draft Horse cold blood has chestnut or chestnut roan coat with flaxen main and tail was used as an artillery horse due to its strong, heavy and compact body, obliging and good tempered nature. The Mecklenburg was another "cold blood" and served as heavy artillery horses.
The small horses (or probably better called Ponies) were riden by the Hussars and Ulans (lancers). These men were supposed to be shorter than Dragoons and Cuirassier.
Depending upon the country the height of the Hussar would be 5'1" to about 5'6" high. Although this varied.
The Cuirassier would be over 5'8" and would likely be about 5'10" to 6'.
The Dragoon would be between these heights.
Care needs to be made when referring to modern breeds who have been bread to be taller. The heights that I have quoted were correct for the period to the mid 19th century. After this there was considerable interest in improving the stock especially introducing thoroughbreads from England and Arabs.
Remember the Arab is only about 15 Hands high and are good loadbearers.
Even shorter Ponies were used by the Cossacks, Bashkirs, Khirghiz and the Polish Krakus. These were between 13.2 Hands and 14.3 Hands. These horses were closser to the wild horses that interestingly if left to bread would converge upon this height. It is through selective breading that we have taller horses.
Knights rode horses of about 15 Hands and you should read the books by Anne Hyland upon the Medieval Warhorse.
Also you need to remember the style of riding that came from the French of the Straight leg so overemphasising the shortness of the horse from the modern seat. This was the fashion in England brought over by the French Emigres in the 1790s. The modern seat was used by Prussia. The Cossacks were close to the Western seat. The nearest modern equivalent.
Now no doubt our learned Vet Susan can no doubt say more than I. I came very late to riding and at present too far away from my dear friends to carry on further. The conversations with Maddy Jacob upon long distance riding and endurance racing has been facinating. Her horses are Welsh Cob and some with some Arabian blood from the face. These are rugged and well suited. They are on 14.3 hands and bare well my 12 stone. Fortunate also to be short of stature. The sure footed nature of the animal is much appreciated.
Alas I have not been present at cavalry re-enactments but I can understand the concern that just 20 horsemen galloping down a road caused me. The horse remember is more sensible than the rider and they are herd creatures. Only Geldings and mares would be used as stallions are too uncontrollable in Battle. Although the Knights in the crusade rode Stallions and the Saracens often used this to their advantage by having mares in heat. Stallions when trained as warhorses are viscious creatures.
I have know only a few stallions and certainly found the rig the most worrying. The way he would shy and knaw when you tried to go into the field especially if the mare was around.
COSSACK HORSES
The men provided their own mounts, which were approved by a government inspector before going on campaign. Every Cossack had two horses. One for riding and the other for carrying supplies so giving the Cossacks a useful self-sufficiency. Cossacks and their mounts lived off the land when campaigning even when forage was thin. From an early age, they could perform amazing feats of horsemanship including being able to take object from the ground or stand in the saddle all at the gallop. Cossack ponies were small and wiry. Most contemporaries also described them as being unattractive. They were capable of the most remarkable endurance, and bursts of speed.
Robert Ker Porter (1777-1842), later knighted, who had returned to Russia in 1812 to marry Princess Scherbatov described Cossack horses as follows:
‘Their horses are mean in shape and slouching in motion, every limb speaks on languor and every moment you expect to see them drop down dead under their heavy burdens but there is not a more hardy animal existing. It will travel incalculable journeys and remain exposed to the heat or cold, day and night, without manifesting any sense of inconvenience. These little rugged beasts never know the luxury of a snug stable and a well-littered bed, nor ever enjoy the comfort of a currycomb or a wisp of straw. Their sustenance is of the most scanty sort.
Major General Sir Robert Wilson, attached to the Russian headquarters in 1812-13, added these details in his journal.
‘Mounted on very little, ill conditioned but well bred horses that can walk at the rate of five miles per hour with ease or dispute the race with the swiftest [horse] – with a short whip on his wrist (as he has no spur.) Dextrous in the management of a horse that is guided only by the snaffle, they can twist and bend their course through the most intricate country at full speed. They have only a snaffle bridle on their horses for the convenience of feeding at all times and even in the presence of the enemy. If their horses had bits, they could not take advantage of every opportunity to graze, and they would be ruined; for their activity is too incessant to admit stops for regular feeding…'
Cossack Saddle
Cossacks used a very simple saddle of brown leather with plain grey girth. Beneath the saddle was a thick padded saddlecloth. The brown leather harness had the minimum of decorations and girths plain grey so assisted the Cossacks move quietly. Cossacks used the a single rein with a simple snaffle bit rather than the rather complex four reined snaffle and curb arrangement used by orthodox cavalry.
The Cossack urged his horse forward with a whip hung from his left wrist instead of spurs. He was raised high over the horse's back so the influence of the legs over the horse was much less than orthodox cavalry. This resulted in the Cossacks managing their horses mostly by means of the bridle, the sway of the body and the whip. When standing still or cantering Cossacks put little weight on the stirrups, however, at a trot Cossack leant forward, bent their legs more and pressed against the stirrups. At a gallop they did not need to press against the stirrups, and the rider sat deeply in the saddle.
This is different to the regular cavalryman. He managed his horse by means of the rider's torso, bridle reins and legs from knee to ankle that adhered closely to the sides of the horse with the heel has to be lower than the toe. The stirrups were adjusted so that the distance between the rider raised on the stirrups with straightened legs and the saddle was 4 inches (10 cm).
The tack used by the Bashkirs, Kalmiks, Kirghiz and Tartars had changed little from that used by the Mongols. It consisted of a snaffle bridle and a short deep-seated wooden saddle covered with short stirrups. The short straight seat and centrally hung stirrups put the rider in a balanced position. The saddles had a thick felt pad. The bridle consisted of an ordinary jointed snaffle that due to its thinness was far more severe than most snaffles. The horse was managed mostly by means of the bridle, and the bending of the body.
Training the Horse
The training of the Tartar horse as described by Mr Lyall in 1877 that certainly it is unlikely to have changed from the times of the Golden Horde.
‘In ordinary times they [the Tartars] made raids on their own account into Poland or campaigned against the Cossack. Being often pursued and hard pushed on these occasion, their animals were obliged to be ‘fit.' The training the best of them underwent as a preparation for the business was something appalling, and to anyone acquainted with the strength of constitution and iron hardness of the Tartar ponies would be completely appalling.
Their method of training or rather ordeal they admit used to kill two out of five whom underwent it. And was only compatible with the possession of an unlimited number of animals costing next to nothing to keep, being grazed on the steppe al the summer and half starved on a little dry fodder during winter. The horse was not selected until it was seven or eight years. The horse initially had just the weight of the rider in the saddle but gradually was loaded with a sack of earth or sand gradually increased over eight days to 20-22 stones. The fodder and water was diminished over this period. He was trotted and walked 6-7 miles daily.
The next eight days the load was decreased until the sack was empty, still decreasing the feed until for 2-3 days absolutely nothing, but merely tightening up the girths at intervals. About the nineteenth day they worked him hard until he sweated, when they unsaddled him and poured buckets of ice-cold water over the animal from head to tail. He was then picketed, all wet, to a peg on the open steppe. Allowed to graze or fed sparingly giving him every day a little more feed and more rope for seven or eight days more, after which he turned loose to run with the herd as usual.
A horse that had undergone this discipline was considered a valuable animal, and a sort of fortune to a man. Being able to travel almost continuously for four or five days together, with only a handful of fodder once in eight or ten hours, and a drink of water once in the twenty-four.
This training was of course, a sort of epitome of what the animals often had to go through on an actual foray. When they had frequently to swim semi-frozen rivers, to carry great weights, to go for days almost without food, to be picketed on the steppes, perhaps sweating from a long journey, in snow and sleet without any covering'
The Don Horse
The chestnut, bay or grey Don Horse standing less than 14.2 hands (143-cm) was the mount of the famed and feared Cossack cavalry. It was the Cossack's skill at breeding that made the Don such a rugged horse. The breed originated in the area near the Don and Volga Rivers in the southern Russia. Originally, this was a small horse, but during the 1800's large numbers of the Persian Arabs and Karabakh breeds were bred to the Don. This resulted in a larger, more refined horse that combined the durability of the older type and the more pleasing conformation. The Don roamed in herds that endured the harsh winters with little food, so only the hardiest have survived.
The Don Horse has a refined head with a straight or sometimes hooked nose, large nostrils, and expressive eyes. The neck was lean and often straight. The withers were not prominent; the shoulders were quite straight, giving the Don a rather short stride. Its chest was substantial and muscular. The back was long and the legs were clean. The breed was noted for an even temperament and great powers of endurance. These qualities combined with the Cossacks unequalled horsemanship made the Don Horse ideal for skirmishing and pursuit duties to which they were assigned. Few breeds could have withstood such a punishing task. In 1951, a stallion named Zenith covered 193˝ miles (311.6 km) in 24 hours (including only 4 hours of rest). The Don Horse is also known for its speed. The following times were recorded for the Don Horse; 1 minute 19 seconds for 1.2 km (3/4 mile); 1 minute 58.8 seconds for 1.8 km (1.12 miles); and 3 minutes 28 seconds for 3 km (1.86 miles).
The Karadin (Karbardinian) Horse
The mounts of the Black Sea Cossacks were black or bay Karadin horses that had been bread in the Black Sea area since the sixteenth century. This mountain breed standing at under 15 hands (152 cm), was bred from local Mongolian mares with Turkoman and Arab studs and was equally suited to the mountains and the steppe. It was characterised by its resilience, sturdy frame, short legs, long straight back and surefootedness even on the steepest paths. Its temperament was calm, intelligent and independent. A group of riders in 1935-6 tested the Karadins under the most arduous conditions and covered 1865 miles (3000 km) in just 37 days.
The Bashkirsky
The Bashkirs and Mesheriaks rode bay, dun or chestnut Bashkirsky ponies. It is small thickset of 13.2 hands (133 cm) and weighing 370-420 kg with a prominent wither, longish back, low set tail and short legs. Its calm, good-tempered and very tough nature made it very suited to riding long distances and pulling sleighs. The mares yield 8-10 l of milk per day that is chiefly used for making Kumiss. They are also valued for meat yielding 50-54% dressed weight. It was descended from the native pony, Budyonny, Don and Trotter.
The Karadin
The mounts of the Crimean Tartars were mainly black or bay Karadin horses that had been bread in the Black Sea area since the sixteenth century. This mountain breed standing at under 15 hands (152 cm), was bred from local Mongolian mares with Turkoman and Arab studs and was equally suited to the mountains and the steppe. It was characterised by its resilience, sturdy frame, short legs, long straight back and surefootedness even on the steepest paths often not requiring shoes. Its temperament was calm, intelligent and independent. A group of riders in 1935-6 tested the Karadins under the most arduous conditions and covered 1850 miles (3000 km) in just 37 days.
The Kazahr
This pony of 13 hands (131 cm) had a similar physique to the Mongolian Wild Horse and was bay, chestnut or grey. It ambles rather than walks. It was used for riding, herding, milk and meat. Russian records show that a Kazahr horse covered more than 66 miles (106 km) in 4˝ hours and another 33 miles (54 km) in just less than two hours.
The Kirghiz
The Kirghiz rode the 13.2 to hands (136-138 cm) bay, grey or chestnut Kirghiz pony. It had a sturdy frame with tough hooves being descended from the Mongolian and Arab. This ancient, tough and versatile mountain breed has a sensible, brave, intelligent and responsive temperament.
According to Captain Fred Burnaby of the Household Cavalry in his celebrated book ‘Ride to Khiva' in 1876, ‘No horses are so hardy as the Tartars of the Kirghiz steppes. The feeble ones die of starvation in hard winters.' He purchased a black horse for his journey about 14 hands high with gaudy saddle and bridle for £5.00 GBP to carry his 22 stone including clothes, furs and accoutrements. He rode 371 miles (600 km) in nine days, averaging more than forty miles (64 km) per day without any trouble. His intelligence gathered was invaluable in warning the British of Russian intentions towards Afghanistan and thence India.
The Kirghiz never clothed their horses in the coldest winters receiving snow instead of water. Early in the spring the animals gain flesh and strength, and are capable of performing immense marches, a ride of a hundred miles (160 km) on end was not being uncommon in Tartary. For very long journeys they employ two horses, one carries a little water, and from time to time they change horses.
In 1870, General Count Borkh's Brigade made a forced march of 266 miles (428 km) in six days over difficult country. On some days they marched 60 miles (97 km) through rocky defiles and barren sandy wastes destitute of forage and water in temperatures during the day reaching 117 F (47 C) and cold frosty nights. Only twelve horses had sore backs. Riflemen and not Cossacks had ridden these.
There is so much more for me to learn about horses and their uses in war. This seems a much neglected area.
I would recommend Johnson's Napoleon's Cavalry. There seems very little else
cheers
matt
returns to Flintloque to paint an Ogre.
