Colours for horses in the acw

[petercooman]

A little question about horses.

In the ACW, what horse colours were most common, it's hard to find much info about that so thought i'd ask.

I have painted my first base of cavalry last year with one white for the officer and a brown and a black for the men.




I am now getting started on the other ones and thought i'd ask up front. I know in the napoleonic era there were some specifications as to who could ride wich colour of horse, but can't tell if the same applied to the acw.

Thanks in advance!

[FierceKitty]

What is a "white"?

[Fenton]

I think horse colours are pretty much standard all over the world..various shades of brown would do the trick I would have thought

[petercooman]

What is a "white"?

Yeah i know they are referred to as greys, but you know what i mean  

I think horse colours are pretty much standard all over the world..various shades of brown would do the trick I would have thought

I don't mean the colours themselves, but was there some sort of 'convention'? You know, 'white' for the general black for the mzn or something like that.

[Fenton]

Have an ask on the ACW board on TMP ...although it can be a silly place at times there are people on there that know their stuff

[get2grips]

it can be a silly place at times

Camelot

[petercooman]

Have an ask on the ACW board on TMP ...although it can be a silly place at times there are people on there that know their stuff

I checked the TMP but found nothing. Lots for napoleonics but nothing ACW. I don't post on TMP though.

[Fenton]

Would you like me to post  question for you?

[Fenton]

Ok an answer already from TMP

Officers bought their own horses so were free to buy whatever they liked. The troopers received replacement horses and they were every color with no regard to regiment/troop/company.

[Tobbe]

In the early days of the war buglers tended to be mounted on light coloured horses so that the commanding officer could find him in the fray. Obviously it made him and easy target for the enemy and the practice was discontinued.

[Womble67]

In the early days of the war buglers tended to be mounted on light coloured horses so that the commanding officer could find him in the fray. Obviously it made him and easy target for the enemy and the practice was discontinued.

forums like these are just so informative and you end up learning something new every time you log on

take care

andy

[petercooman]

Ok an answer already from TMP

Officers bought their own horses so were free to buy whatever they liked. The troopers received replacement horses and they were every color with no regard to regiment/troop/company.

Thanks!! So fair game to mix it up!

In the early days of the war buglers tended to be mounted on light coloured horses so that the commanding officer could find him in the fray. Obviously it made him and easy target for the enemy and the practice was discontinued.

Thanks! I thought this was for the napoleonic era only, didn't know it went as far as that!!

[Maenoferren]

Polish lancers mounted their trumpeter on greys.
In the uk you wouldn't use a coloured horse (piebald etc.) As they were seen as gypsy horses and therefore not worth using. Technically my boy is coloured as he has a white spot on his belly.

Unfotunately I can't find my cavalry books giving colours and sizes. On the upside I found Nolan's training manual and the 1796 manual on training the cavalryman

The other consideration is breed characteristics at the time.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

If its a western campaign you can sneak in a few palaminos as they were highly prized especially in Texas, otherw mix them up as they had to make do with whatever nags they could get hold of. This is even more true of Southern States later in the war.

[petercooman]

Well i'm going for the later stages in the war mostly so mix and matching seems okay if you figure the replacements.

Thanks all! I knew i could count on you lot