Other Ranks’ Horse Equipment 1866

An unusual photo of the horse furniture and carbine of a rank-and-file member of the 10th Hussars shows a blue embroidered shabraque with black sheepskin cover, stirrups and carbine in its holster. There are very few examples of other ranks’ shabraques so, even though the quality of this old monochrome photo is poor, it shows the work that was involved in making this item. It is bordered by yellow worsted lace and has the Prince of Wales plume embroidered in white and yellow. The Guelphic crown, cypher, 10 H and scrolls are in yellow thread. The whole design repeated on the other side. It is difficult to imagine how many hours of work were involved in making this shabraque. At this time, the regiment, posted in Ireland numbered around 600 men, and each man, up to the rank of sergeant-major had one of these. They were abolished for the rank-and-file c1871.
The black sheepskin was, on certain occasions worn without the shabraque. This photo demonstrates that it was not a complete and continuous sheepskin. It showed as such in front and behind the saddle but where the trooper sat was plain cloth or soft leather, held in place by the surcingle. The carbine sits in a bucket behind the rider’s right leg. This was the Westley-Richards breech-loading carbine which was issued to the regiment on 10 May 1864. On that day they received a delivery of 576 carbines at Portobello Barracks, Dublin. The photo shows the percussion mechanism protected by a pale-coloured cover.

Regimental Details | Uniforms