"Polish Vistula Lancers" Topic

I was planning on ordering some Polish Lancers to represent The Vistula Lancers in Spain 1808-09. Some of the miniatures have the horses with sheepskins and some have swallow tail saddlecloths? I can't discover for sure which they had in Spain? Any info on this would be much appreciated.

I think I've just resolved my own post. While undertaking yet another search through my shelves of books, I noticed in the Peninsular section, one of them had a bookmark in it. I could not remember why so I checked it out. When I opened the book at the bookmark it showed an image of a Polish Vistula lancer. It depicts the lancer with a sheepskin saddle cloth. So answer solved! If anyone knows better I'd be happy to hear. But I now know which miniatures I will order. LOL (The book, by the way, was Bloody Albuera by Ian Fletcher, page 60, Plate C, C1)

I'm no expert, but could the swallowtail saddle cloths be for officers?

Yes, you could be right on that. But every time I go looking, the research brings up contradicting images, some showing, as in Fletcher's Bloody Albuera book, the sheepskins, while others depict swallow tails. But I'll keep looking for a while longer, as frustrating as it is. The 'fun' of research! Sometimes I just wish I wasn't so fussy and could just say that'll do.

Rawkins CD has:

"HORSE FURNITURE
The regiment appears to have prescribed new horse furniture in 1808 which consisted of a cloth shabraque of the French light cavalry pattern of dark blue with round front and pointed rear corners and was edged with broad yellow trim piped white at the inner and outer edge. The troopers had a round valise of dark blue cloth piped yellow with yellow trim at the outer tips. A sheepskin saddle cover was used for campaign with or without the cloth shabraque which was natural undyed wool for the troopers with a yellow cloth dogtooth or ruffle edging. The trumpeters had the same shabraque but the sheepskin was black with yellow edgings.

Officer's shabraques were of the same style as those of the lancers and were dark blue with a wide silver lace edging piped dark blue at the extreme outer edge. The silver lace may have varied in width according to rank but no definitive details have been found. Field officers appear to have had the rear corners decorated with a silver Imperial eagle motif and the elite company officers may have had grenade motifs as decoration. The officer's valise was round and dark blue with silver piping and trim at the outer tips."

Histofig plates:

Prince of Essling and advocate – much appreciated info. I think I'm now much nearer and clearer on what I will paint the Lancers and their horses. The info provided also ties in with the image on the front cover of Guy Dempsey's Napoleon's Mercenaries, which depicts the Vistula Lancers, 1808. Many thanks again.

I went digging in a few more titles and found some nice images which seem to confirm the info provided. The main ones can be found on pages 80-83 in Soldiers and Uniforms of Napoleonic Wars, by Hourtoulle & Courcelle (Histoire & Collections) in the Peninsular War 1808-1814 section. So the info was right under my nose! LOL