A Royalist cornet, a cavalry trooper who carried the regimental ‘guidon’ or flag
A Royalist cornet, a cavalry trooper who carried the regimental ‘guidon’ or flag, turns their stead to begin the charge into battle. At least at the beginning of the conflict, horses used during the English Civil War were more likely to be quality steads than the heavy cart-horses of popular perception. . In the 17th Century, good horsemanship virtually defined being a gentleman. The gentlemanly trade in fine breeds such as Arabians, Barbs, Turcomans and Ginetes incidentally also improved the performance of the cavalry on the battlefield, even between enemies. Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Marquess of Newcastle William Cavendish, future adversaries on the battlefields of Yorkshire, shared a keen interest in horse breeding and regularly sent each other fine studs for breeding. . So when civil war broke out in England in 1642 both sides could draw on a plentiful pool of serviceable horses, improved with foreign stock. On 6 June 1642 Parliament issued the ‘Propositions’, asking people to contribute money and plate, or to equip and maintain the cavalry with horses and arms. By the end of September the commissioners had received 3,014 horses, mainly from London and eight counties lying in the Home Counties, East Anglia and the South Midlands. With added pressure the number had more than doubled (6,704 horses) by 6 July 1643. Contributions included very expensive horses such as the four bay stallions, valued at £120, that Sir Thomas Martin sent in on 2 January 1642/3. Although horses earmarked for ordinary troopers were priced much lower, the county lists indicate that the country possessed thousands of serviceable horses in 1642. Later in June 1642 the Royalists, through the Engagement, instigated a similar scheme. 63 64 Forty-four lords and officials signed an agreement, whereby they promised to maintain 2,015 horses for three months. . ARW Photography https://www.instagram.com/p/CABdqo4HqYv/?igshid=2blq0be4xids -- source link