"Horses: How Many Colors in a Unit?" Topic

I'm about to start painting the 4th Dragoons in 6mm. The unit will contain 96 figures on 24 stands (4 horse per 20mm base). I'm wondering how many different horses colors I should use? Has anyone thought about this? I'm currently thinking:

Command on grays (to be cool and make them easy to spot).

Then even splits between black, reddish/chestnut brown, light brown and dark brown. So about 23 per color plus 4 grays. Then mix them all up (I know they liked to match horse colors and all but this is in the field, so I'm assuming remounts were in whatever color they could get…)

The French dragoon regiments had four squadrons, each of two companies. Dragoon companies had three officers and 116 men each, at full strength.

Horse colors were definitely mixed on campaign, remounts being of any color that could be obtained, and that would mean that trumpeters could be remounted on any color, and not only grays or whites. It was nigh on impossible to maintain the traditional colors for the regiments' squadrons.

Traditionally, the 1st Squadron would be mounted on blacks, the 2d Squadron on bays; the 3d Squadron on chestnuts, and the 4th Squadron on grays. Trumpeters, as already mentioned, would be mounted on grays and whites, as would the band if the regiment had one. Kettledrummers were usually mounted on piebalds or skewbalds.

The dragoon horse had to be able to carry 273 pounds, which was the regulation weight of the dragoon and his arms and equipment. A horse that was well-cared for by his trooper should be able to carry up to one-fourth of his weight.

B

It probably would have helped if I had said British 4th Dragoons! I forgot about Bays….

bays are the most predominate amongst the "red" horse.

The only 'white' horses you will find are those carved on chalk hillsides, and of course the Viennese Lippenzaners, by especial command of the Empress. All other true white horses are extremely rare, still a genetic mystery, and probably too rare for the Remount Service. Most horses that appear white are usually just termed 'greys'.

You're forgetting the most famous military lot, aren't you?

You're forgetting the most famous military lot, aren't you?

If you are referring to the Royal Scots Greys, they only served in the Low Countries 1793 – 1795 and at Waterloo.

I wouldn't use that many, there the military at this time – tried to get even colours together – as much as possible.
Heavy cavalry regiments tended to have darker horse colours.

Checkout this informative wargames blog link

Specifically this post from the series link

For what it's worth my wargames unites are mostly chestnuts and bays. Easy to paint and fits the majority of the horseflesh I see locally.

It is adding stockings and blazes that really bring them to life.

I do vary the coat colours, but find subtlety is best. There just aren't enough figures even in a large wargames unit for a lot of variation not to look wrong.

I own a book written by a Texas veterinarian titled "Horse Colors." In it he breaks down the various colored horse hair, including a schematic for each.

What he found, the darker the color the tougher the skin and the tougher the skin the more able a horse is to be worked hard (ridden hard and put-up wet). Lighter color hairs indicate a thinner hide more susceptible to damage. And yes horses with light hair get sunburned and are more likely to saddle sores. Thus, the preferable horse colors for cowboys and cavalry are browns and blacks, the darker the better.

Generally, certain elite regiments rode horses of matching colors and French cavalry tried to match colors by squadron.

Cheers.

Bob Coggins

@Dave Crowell:

That's just what I was worried about. On reflection I'll go with two horse colors, but put the command group on grays, just so they stand out.

@MajorB

I thought the same. But these are the 4th at Talavera (Queen's Own, is that right?).

@Bob Coggins

The darker lighter info is fascinating, thanks!

All horses are brown.

Some are more brown than most, some are less, but still brown.
Some lighter brown horses may trend to a golden-ish brown, but still brown. Ditto reddish horses, still brown.

ALL horses are brown, unless they are not, then they are white.
There are no white horses, only greys, some are very, very light grey.
But still not white.
Only unicorns are truly white.
No self respecting cavalryman would ride a unicorn. .
No self respecting unicorn would let a cavalry trooper get anywhere even close.

There are no black horses, just very, very. very dark brown, see above.

Speckled horses ought not appear in the ranks of the regulars.
If your native irregulars ride speckled horses what make you think that they aren't brown, but wearing warpaint too?

Well said Dave Crowell!
Stockings and blazes DO make the brown horses distinctive, as they should be, but still brown.

Interesting ratisbon/Bob Coggins. Must not be true for mules. I know a pair of light grey-brown long eared oatburners that'd outwork any six living creatures I've ever seen. Slap either one on the flank & you'd hurt your hand, a lot.

Back on track & just to be sure, there may a quiz later,

All horses are brown.

This information I share freely from my vast equine experience, training, and books.

It is always best to remember a horse is a weapon dangerous at both ends.
Kinda like a bazooka, with head, hoofs, teeth & a temper.

Here endeth the lesson

Valerik

"I'm not a veterinarian, btu I know a horse's ass when I see one"
Frank Crenshaw, Pendleton, SC City Council Meeting…

"Speckled horses"…assume you do not mean dappled as most trumpeters would have ridden dappled greys, as did troopers of that unit at Waterloo.

Melanin is what makes skin/hair/fur brown…it is brown and the blackest is still,indeed just very, very, dark brown on closer inspection (and especially you leave Central Africa or Oz and move to the North east of England, when it soon fades!)

Black horses, as ridden by our Household Cavalry indeed each vary in hue across their anatomy. Some modellers even argue that blue shading is more appropriate!

But dappled greys really do seem to have black hair in them from any distance. More in some places than others and with the lighter colour showing through as a subtle patchwork. Anything else looks like a rocking horse. A white wash or two to tone everything down at the end helps.

Now this may not apply in 6mm, but if you can do the buttons on a cuff slash or double stripes on the overalled legs of a lancer………..

All whites start gray. As they age they slowly turn white and are dappled along the way.

Cheers.

Bob Coggins

3/4 should be some shade of red-brown. black and the pale bay or palominos are about 1/8 each, and maybe 1 in a hundred gray.

I thought the Palomino was an American variety therefore unlikely to appear on a European Napoleonic battlefield in any great numbers. If I am wrong I'll paint some up, I quite like the colour :)

Well if you like Palomino colouring, throw a few in! The breed was descended from Spanish stock after all. The Austrian Halflinger mountain pony has the same colouring, and no doubt other European breeds did too.