Landships II

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Horses and Limbers


Commander in Chief

Status: Offline
Posts: 671
Date:
Horses and Limbers
Permalink   


I have been searching for pictures showing how a 6-horse team was harnessed to either a 13pdr or 18pdr limber. I've not had much success, but I did find one small drawing in an antique artillery book. I've snipped and enlarged the drawing and attached it. Could some kind soul examine it and say whether it is correct or not. It is not a very clear picture, but I haven't found any better. Naturally, if you have seen better, can you show it please?

Also, if the horses were cold and wet (like you) and you loved you horses and wanted to put a New Zealand Rug on them, would you put it over the harness ('trace'?) or under it? Or would you just not put a Rug on a horse in harness?



Attachments
__________________
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 1152
Date:
Permalink   

Have you had a look in the Society of the Military Horse forums?

Like http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7103 - the first search result on the topic (and bound to be more). A further link from the above http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeeir49/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/loc_rha_1895.jpg - click to toggle zoom.

__________________
Facimus et Frangimus


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 1626
Date:
Permalink   


Hi Phil heres a pic of RFA 1914 18pdr and the pole pair on a RHA 13pdr... all horses have breast straps... I dont recall where they came from though although a secound photo of the 18pdr has "RFA Practice Oakhampton" written on it...

Cheerssmile





-- Edited by Ironsides on Thursday 22nd of April 2010 08:41:33 AM

Attachments
__________________

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazggimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul"

 



Commander in Chief

Status: Offline
Posts: 730
Date:
Permalink   

Hi PDA,

yes, you can put a blanket on a wet and harnessed horse. Horse blankets are made of wool, they absorb the sweat in such way that the blanket is getting humid on the outside while the inside is dry. Drying a wet horse with straw can be done but that's of course a problem when you're in the field. Taking off harness and saddle is of course better anyway, inspect if there are any wounds and so on but in battle circumstances they were not always that caring, I think the famous French writer Celine mentioned that. He served in the cavalry and wrote about the state those poor horses were after overstretched rides.
Military riding was rougher anyway, well if it's a matter of life and death you can't be that gentle with a horse as civil riders these days are I guess. The bits for instance were quite severe, giving a horse no other possibility than to obey, horse loving people today find that quite gruesome.

regards, Kieffer


__________________


Commander in Chief

Status: Offline
Posts: 671
Date:
Permalink   

Rectalgia; I had never heard of, nor thought there might be, a Military Horse Society. Thank you for the links. Good photos there, that helped.

Ironsides, good pictures. Thank you. The sepia coloured one shows the 'wheel pair' have a wooden pole across their chests as well as the straps (You have to look very closely). That ties in with the plan I posted.

Kieffer, thank you. If the likelihood of it having occurred is not impossible, then I will consider it as fact that it did occur, somewhere, at some time in The War!

Thank you gents.

__________________
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.


Legend

Status: Offline
Posts: 1626
Date:
Permalink   

"The sepia coloured one shows the 'wheel pair' have a wooden pole across their chests as well as the straps"

Well spotted, looks like the 13pdr has the same thing...

Cheerssmile


__________________

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazggimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul"

 

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard