"US Cavalry horseholders" Topic

Working on a set of large-scale skirmish rules for the Plains War and have a couple of questions on US cavalry tactics of the period;

When dismounting to form a skirmish line, I assume the cavalry used horseholders but in what proportion? IIRC correctly, it was 1 in 4 men.

Were the horseholders meant to remain mounted (easier to control 3 other horses while still in the saddle) or did they dismount?

Did either the cavalry or the Sioux ever hobble their horses rather than use horseholders?

Thanks in anticipation…

Mounted for sure. As far as I remember yes, 1 in 4.

It was 1:4 in the ACW.

Not entirely my period, but I think the only time the cavalry would hobble their horses was at night.

IIRC, the cavalry regulations called for the horse-holder to remain mounted.

Didn't Custer and others briefly experiment with a 1:6 ratio sometime during the Plains War?

Also a good link somewhere here on TMP of a very knowledgable reenactor or NPS ranger explaining how cavalry dismounted during the ACW. I believe it was filmed at Gettysburg National Park and is on youtube.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to provide a direct link.

The cavalry horse holders most usually remained mounted. There are a few accounts where they did not, usually in very very small detachments. As an example, at the Buffalo Wallow fight the 6 men dismounted in hopes of not being seen by passing Indians. The horse holder was the first one shot & they lost the horses.

One in 4 served as the horse holder.

It seems few horses were hobbled at night. Horses were either tied directly to an iron picket stake driven into the ground or tied to a line between 2 pickets. In theory, the wagons were set up to form a corral & if attacked at night, the horses were supposed to be driven into the makeshift corral. The men slept outside of the wagon corral & were to defend it if attacked. The picket guard on duty was to remain mounted. Other members chosen for guard duty were to sleep with their horse saddled and the picket stake within hand's reach.

I've not read any accounts where the Indians hobbled their horses.

Further questions on this topic;

Who was designated to hold the Officers Horse?
Who was designated to hold the Bugler's horse?
also the, 1st Sargent and Guidon Holder's mount?

Excellent, thank you all. Now, who does mounted US cavalry horseholders (or ACW would do I guess) in either 15mm or 28mm?

Should have cross-posted to the ACW board as well, where I've now found several related and very useful threads. Seems there's a gap in the market in 15mm and only Perry doing something suitable in 28mm.

Now I realise that my 15mm Sudan cavalry need mounted horse holders as well!

As to who held the officers' horses, buglers, etc., the fundamental unit was the set of four. On paper, each 2 sets of 4 was commanded by an NCO, in other words 2 sets of 4 had 7 privates & 1 NCO. When a company dismounted to fight on foot, all of the horseholders were privates under the direction of a NCO. Officers of a company, the Captain, 1st Lt., & 2nd Lt. did not ride together, but were in their own sets of 4. Each otticer had privates in his set of 4 & one of these held the horses. Buglers & the guidon bearer were usually in an officer's set of four.

When a large number of companies were in the field organized as battalions or the regiment as a whole, senior officers had privates who were assigned as orderlies to look after their horses when they dismounted.

Excellent, thank you all. Now, who does mounted US cavalry horseholders (or ACW would do I guess) in either 15mm or 28mm?

QRF has them in 15mm, but that's with a dismounted holder. Sold as a set of 4 horses and the dismounted holder. link

I bought a few sets for my Colonial Brits, and I diverted a couple of the horseholders into my Vietnam gaming (bought the sets with the holder wearing the slouch hat, so they're perfect for Air Cav!).

What I did for one set of Colonial cavalry was to grab some lance-armed models. The Guides Cavalry armed 1 man in 4 of the inner troops with a Lance, and he was the designated horse-holder. The troopers with sword and carbine were better armed for dismounted work.

Most 15mm ACW manufacturers make sets with dismounted holders but the historically accurate version seems impossible to buy in 15mm.

Peter Pig do colonial British (Sudan 1885) horse holders as well as ACW versions but, again they are all dismounted.

Battle Honours has dismounted horse holders in 15mm.

If you have separate riders, I'd just use them for the horseholders.

I admit that I have a LOT of empty horses (36, IIRC), I'm going to need to buy some cavalrymen.

Yep, finding a suitable figure, sticking him on a stationary horse alongside 3 others seems to be the easiest solution.