"ECW Cavalry Uniforms?" Topic

Was there any Cavalry unit which had uniform coats/cassocks (or breeches) during the war? From my research, it seems that most cavalry wore buff coats, but I'm not sure…

The buff coat was the uniform …

Pretty much as Yesthatphil stated, the buff coat was the uniform. Although I am sure that just as with the foote there were attempts to uniform the horse. There were certainly uniformed units of Dragoons. However, most cavalry units were made up of nobles, gentry, and retainers that could afford a horse or were provided mounts by their patrons. They would have worn their civilian attire under pot, buff coat, and breast and back plate if they had the later. For my part I do attempt to "uniform" my horse units if for no other reason than to make it easy to know which figures belong with what unit as my figures are individually based.

The other "uniform" bit of kit a cavalry man would have worn would have been a sash, worn either as a very wide belt or as a baldric, dyed in the color of his commander/patron, or in the color that represented the side he fought for. I tend to have orange sashes for my Parliamentary forces and red sashes for my Royalist. Sashes could be either of these colors but there were green, blue, yellow, and purple colored sashes as well.

For my miniatures I also try to have cavalry with broad brimmed hats represent Royalist horse and helmeted/pot wearing horse represent Parliamentary units. Although I do not hold to this arrangement strictly as you would have units that would have mixed kit especially as the war wore on.

Yup from my reading it's the sashes that were the distinguishing factor from unit to unit. Otherwise it's a buff coat and heavy duty boots.

Leigh

I always thought that apart from sashes, you could tell by the sleeves of some regiments??? – obviously not for cuirassiers!.

Then, there is always the guidon…

The Trumpeters would sometimes have some pretty fancy sleeves. I have no idea what the reason was for this. And yes the "cornet", i.e. standard bearer, would carry the regiment's flag. The flags for the horse are also some of the most distinctive of the ECW as most regimental flags for the foote followed a set pattern of the St. George Cross set in a canton on the far upper left of the flag with a wide range of geometric symbols to denote rank of the commander's of the regiments in the main field which was also made of a wide range of colors.

Traiditonally musicians were used as messengers and ambassadors. As such their dress reflected the status and worth of their commander, and he very often spent a lot of money on it to send the right impression.

As to unifrom; it is becoming increasingly clear from research that even the most unifrom of units could have a variety of clothing.

Cavalry cornets varied ocnsiderably in design, incorporating political cartoons, religious quotations, elements of coats of arms (less common). Almost all fo them appear in this book link

Thank you all very much!

As the others said, buff coats and sashes. I use orange sashes for my Parliamentarians and red for my Royalist units. I also had my cavaliers with hats and buff coats and the roundheads with buff coat, armor, and lobster helmets to be able to tell my different cavalry regiments apart on the table!

Blake

I found references to a "Sir Richard Norton's Regiment" in red coats. Anyone's got more information?
References here:
link

Any clues on the possibility of colored uniforms?