"Painting horses" Topic

6 Posts

All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.

Please remember not to make new product announcements on the forum. Our advertisers pay for the privilege of making such announcements.

For more information, see the TMP FAQ.

Back to the Empire Message Board

Back to the Renaissance Painting Guides Message Board

Back to the 18th Century Painting Guides Message Board

Back to the 18th Century Discussion Message Board

Back to the Napoleonic Discussion Message Board

Areas of Interest

Renaissance
18th Century
Napoleonic

Featured Hobby News Article

Talavera Scenario for Eagles to Glory

Napoleon

Top-Rated Ruleset

Horse, Foot and Guns

Rating:

Featured Showcase Article

1:600 Xebec

An unusual addition for your Age of Sail fleets.

Featured Workbench Article

Basing 1:700 Black Seas Brigs

A simple, low-effort technique for naval bases.

Featured Profile Article

Herod's Gate

Part II of the Gates of Old Jerusalem.

Featured Book Review

Great Inventors of New York's Capital District

The Membership System will be closing for maintenance in 11 minutes. Please finish anything that will involve the membership system, including membership changes or posting of messages.

Cacadoress	11 Oct 2025 5:51 a.m. PST
Anyone got any tips for painting horses? Of course, the best way to get an idea what they look like is to go out and find some. It's natural to want to paint variations on our cavalry – white flecks on their noses, white socks or that wonderful colouring when horses with white uppers have darker lower parts and white spots in the transition. Or the fact most horses have much darker hair and shins, although their hooves often remain lighter. This is a useful description: "Bay horses have a brown body with black points (mane, tail, and lower legs), while chestnuts and sorrels have a brown or reddish body, mane, and tail. Seal brown is a specific dark brown with lighter areas around the eyes and muzzle". But: Colonels do like a nice turn-out and if they can get their troops fielding the same colour horses, they will. Which necessarily means less variations, less flecks than you see in a typical stable or horse race nowadays. Americans probably realise that piebald horses are far less common in the Old World where they are generally looked down upon by cavalrymen, being associated with gypsies and the poor. Well-bred horses are a symbol of wealth; a sign of good breeding being a single coat-colour. So, another thing I found out is that despite the artistic licence afforded modern uniform illustrators, the more wealthy a regiment, the more likely they are to have single-colour horses without white flecks or socks. That's why the best sources we have for the colour of horses is contemporary battle-paintings, as these paintings immediately had to pass the scrutiny of participants. Single-colour horses are especially deriguour in Spain, where breeding standard have all but bred variations out of the stud population. For French horses, I found this: Light Cavalry (e.g., Hussars): Often brown. Heavy Cavalry: Often black. Special Units (e.g., trumpeters): Often white or grey to stand out. Officers: Used privately purchased horses, which varied in color. Officers in elite guard regiments might use black or white horses.
Col Durnford	11 Oct 2025 5:25 p.m. PST
Ironically, you're asking for help and providing lots of good thoughts in advance. Thanks so much for your insights. I have always heard that the attempt was to match horse colors by squadron.
Lilian	11 Oct 2025 5:38 p.m. PST
indeed quite far from a monochromatic vision, one colour per squadron, but it is more complicated : Coat colors per squadron? TMP link Napoleonic cavalry horse colours? TMP link
Prince of Essling	12 Oct 2025 1:55 a.m. PST
Also this issue has been raised by Cacadoress at TMP link You need to cross-post when posting a new topic to avoid having to repeat yourself & ending up with unconnected comments!
Cacadoress	12 Oct 2025 10:47 a.m. PST
Prince of Essling, Ha! I have trouble cross-posting at all: on my tablet the b*****y adverts obscure the title and I can't see what I'm posting or if it went through at all. It's all guesswork, mate.
Cacadoress	12 Oct 2025 4:41 p.m. PST
Col Durnford "I have always heard that the attempt was to match horse colors by squadron" Thanks. That's very useful information. Made me enquire (see Austria). There seemed to be a general rule that heavy cavalry regiments preferred darker horses and consequently lighter cavalry were left with lighter colours. Could be some natural correlation to strength. All-black was a prestige colour, and sometimes, the far less common white. Includes for infantry officers. White flecks (socks, face markings etc) lowered the prestige, therefore more common for chasseurs. And for dragoons that tended to need replacements more often. I found these suggestions for the ~ British: Black horses favoured for guard, heavy cavalry and the R.H.A. White flecks avoided. Lighter colours for musicians. White unusual. For ~ French: Darker browns for heavy cavalry regiments. Black horses favoured but not uniform for prestigious units like the Grenadiers à Cheval and Carabiniers. Guard Artillery pretty consistently used black, especially at Waterloo. White horses slightly more common for Mamelukes. Lighter colours for light cavalry units like hussars. Grey horses for musicians. Piebalds sometimes used to carry drummers. ~ Austria: as above, including a strong tendency to keep squadron colours the same. ~ Spain: as French, avoidance of white flecks, but in addition one of their prestigious breeds, the Pura Raza Española, comes in various colours, like bay, chestnut, and dun. ~ Prussian functional bias meant that colour was never a deciding factor. Black still a prestige colour, just a mild tendency to see darker colours like brown for heavier cavalry, and lighter colours for hussars. ~ Portugal: no preference. Black and bay horses are more common. ~ Russia: no preference. Pure breeds like the Don breed appeared as bay, black, gray, or chestnut. ~ Poland: Slight tendency: darker horses for heavier cavalry and greys for trumpeters. ~ Dutch: Black, bay, brown, and chestnut variations, more white flecks; tendancy for darker horses for heavier regiments. Greys for musicians. This is thought-provoking, especially for paint tips: link

Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.