Horse Furniture

[Stuart Bates]

A friend just bought a cavalry throat plume and asked me if I could identify it. It is white over red i.e. red inside the white and I immediately thought of the 5^th Dragoon Guards.

Checking the Dress Regulations I find that there is no mention of throat plumes until the 1864 DRs and then only for Hussars. Checking my DRs gave the following results –

1911 – for Dragoons (1^st, 2^nd and 6^th) and Hussars only

1904 – for Dragoons (1^st, 2^nd and 6^th) and Hussars only

1900 – for Dragoons (1^st, 2^nd and 6^th) and Hussars only

1891 – for Dragoons (1^st, 2^nd and 6^th) and Hussars only

1883 – Hussars only

1874 – Hussars only

1864 – Hussars only

Prior to this the DRs make no mention of throat plumes.

Yet I have a book of prints published by Ackermann 1840 – 1855 which has several illustrations showing plumes to Lancers, and Dragoon Guards.

Does anyone know when throat plumes were discontinued for Dragoon Guards, and Lancers and why?

Stuart

[Stuart Bates]

I also thought of the 8th Hussars but the colours were white with red underneath. However a Simkin illustration of an officer in 1914 shows the opposite. Note the Busby plume shows white over red.

A mistake?

[GRA]

Hello Stuart!

Are you sure you are dealing with regular cavalry here? It might be yeomanry or other volunteers too. A quick look in W.Y. Carman's "Light Horse and Mounted Rifle Volunteers 1860-1901" yields a plume identical to the 8th Hussars plume, worn by the Light Troop, Honourable Artillery Company (officer's chargers), and a red plume for the 1st Middlesex Light Horse (officer's chargers, print published 1860). Patrick Mileham's "The Yeomanry Regiments" shows a Lt-Col of the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders), where the horse furniture includes a red plume, dated 1911. The City of London Yeomanry was associated to the Lancers 1908-1920, and the officer wears a lancer uniform. Just a thought...

/Jonas

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Jonas,

no I can't be sure whether it is regular cavalry or not. I haven't actually seen the plume but from the description given it matches the 5th Dragoon Guards helmet plume which led me to discover that prior to 1864, at least, only Hussars and later Dragoons wore throat plumes and then only in review order.

That was really my question i.e. why only Dragoons and Hussars?

I almost forgot that I had the Carman book and skimming through I see that the Norfolk Light Horse also had a white over red horsehair plume to the helmet. As did the 3rd Devon Light Horse.

I am not at all sure if the ID of Gordon's throat plume will be established and it would, perhaps, be helpful if he could get a photo but none to date.

I will check whatever Yeomanry references I have.

Stuart

Edited April 19, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

I forgot to add that unless someone knows to what unit the plume belongs it would be a matter of going through whatever archival material exists for Yeomanry and Light Horse etc. A mammoth task!

A copy of the 1878 Volunteer Regulations may be useful as there is a complete section on Horse Furniture.

Stuart

Edited April 19, 2010 by Stuart Bates