"Early Carabiniers a Cheval" Topic

Once in a while I take on a project and ask myself afterwards what was the point? Some time back I suggested the new Perry Dragoons in bearskins could become early Carabiniers, with minor conversion of the portmanteau and a simple paint job. The bearskin ornaments are not quite right, I accept

TMP link

In the end I am not convinced and think the Front Rank figures work better. They certainly look far better than their later armoured brethren in the same range .

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Perrys, alas, produced no command figures, so I just did these three out of interest. An officer and trumpeter would have encouraged me to at least do one rank of nine. The slung carbine is a real nuisance for more ambitious conversions and does come with a very unsightly chunk of metal between the stock and the riders' backs. The cut away coat and exposed waistcoat are really well modelled though and very welcome. Now, could the new helmeted dragoons become Imperial Guard………?

Fantastic work!!!

Amazing work – one of my favourite Napoleonic cavalry units

Very nicely done, you've proved me undedicated and weak willed! My Napoleonic binge has ended! I feel ashamed and unworthy 🙁

great work – one very attractive uniform and unit – but what slung carbines? Most likely an invention of more modern cavalry?

I agree totally. They come with carbines slung over the left shoulder, I guess to give a "Campaign look". I think they spoil the figures….actually I hate them. There is no undercut to separate them from the back of the shoulders and the neck. So there is a chunk of metal to hide somehow. It is black in the pics above, but much worse in reality.

Not sure still how right they are. Most, not all, show early Carabiniers clean shaven. I got the white balance, eg the sheepskins, wrong in the photos. They are far too yellow, but the effect was better, so I left it.

Odd they never did a Command group. Suggestion for the future. Any idiot can add a sling and a carbine over the shoulder. I am sure a water bottle is invaluable, but the strap spoils the uniform. Lose both from the new dragoons and we could have had potential for Garde Grenadiers in full dress, Empress Dragoons etc etc…..

Lovely work Liam!

I cannot see anything wrong with the colour you chose for your sheepskin saddle.

As for slung carbines, did not yet see any contemporary picture of it, yet plenty of modern artist doing it – like Girbal.

Lovely; they look the business!

On the white… you have to work slightly different shades in there so it looks different from the other whites on the miniatures, so, agreed, nothing wrong with the sheepskin color.

I always liked the Carabiniers, early and late uniforms, though I have consistently gamed anti-French :)

Chalfant

I too really wish someone other than Front Rank would make the early uniform Carabinier. I know the later one looks great but I think the early uniform is the best and you can use those figures for more of the Napoleonic period than the later ones.

I think we at Eureka make some

link
Or are they too early?
Nic EUREKA MINIATURES

I think you are right! You do indeed and how! They are great and very well proportioned. Do follow the link and see the eagle bearer, trumpeter, occifer etc. Less encumbered with extra kit, so much easier to show off the characteristic uniform.

Now apologies for missing these.

in 18 mm as well by AB – wonderful miniatures, here painted and photographed ages ago

theminiaturespage.com

‌"TMP link

theminiaturespage.com

‌"TMP link

Even managed the white lace inside the epaulette fringed edge. I forgot that until too late and decided to not even try….and that was in 28mm scale!

Love the horse painting esp the dappled grey. The saddlery and kit is more like Grenadiers a Cheval of the Guard. How I wish we could get such, in this pose, for 28mm.

I agree, DH, in wishing for early Carabiniers from Perry. They were in a class by themselves prior to getting all armored up. When I saw the bearskinned dragoons, it rekindled hope that we may yet see them.

Cheers,
George

Have a unit to paint next …was wandering if there was a designated horse colour …..think I have read black horses somewhere but I might be dreaming.

Cheers

Losh

Definitely blacks for all but drummers. Most elite heavy cavalry units seemed to favour the darkest coloured horses (given the choice!) ….even to this day.

Blacks for Grenadiers a Cheval, Gendarmes d'Elite, Cuirassiers, my latest Saxon Garde du Corps (except for occifers), British Household etc etc. Chestnut and some bays for Empress Dragoons however. Scots Greys…not sure……

Light cavalry far more likely to ride bays, some chestnuts.

Ok cheers

Losh

Not even the grenadiers à cheval could maintain to have black horses for all squadrons, French cuirasiers, certainly not – but usually heavy cavalry on dark colours – exception like Scots Greys, etc., prove the rule

You are right, especially as there is no such thing as a truly black horse. Melanin creates the colour in mammalian skin and hair/fur. Melanin is a dark brown colour.

Melanomas surely do look black(ish). Enough melanosomes and you will get very dark pigmentation……but not truly black.

I have heard it said that model "black" horses can take a blue wash or highlight. Certainly I often use a very dark brown for my "black" horses.

The horses that the cuirassiers and carabiniers brought back from Russia were, famously, stunted dwarf local steeds. Those that had anything to ride that is!

My next task, the Black Musketeers of Louis XVIII, I think I have little choice. Grey Musketeers would have been easier figure conversions, much harder work with the horses (by definition Greys) and less attractive result.