Officer's Shabraque

The design of the shabraque did not change for 40 years or more. The photo of an Officer and Charger c1864 clearly shows this style of shabraque, or saddle cloth. It was probably worn much earlier than that but no-one really knows the date. It was discontinued around 1901 when the Victorian crown became obsolete. The Queen's crown was one of the few items of the officers dress and accoutrements that had any gold in it. The WYC cypher is in silver. The silver lace around the edge of the dark blue cloth is of oak-leaf design. There was no ornamentation on the front part of the shabraque.