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Horse Drawn Artillery

 
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Godwin of Wessex



Location: South Otago

PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:04 pm     Horse Drawn Artillery Reply with quote

Outside the usual time period of this forum I know (although Gustavas Adolphus experimented (disastrously) with copper/leather galloper guns in the 1600s).
But, has anyone here in New Zealand or across the Tasman ever successfully tried to get together a team of 6 horses plus gun and limber. From a time period perspective this could be anything from mid 18th century through to WW1, with the transition from smooth bore muzzle loading cannon through to the 13 pounder seen with the Kings Troop RHA in the UK.
It would be a big ask, 6 draught horses that are "happy" to work together plus drivers who know what they're doing. Plus then the rest of the gun crew, preferably also mounted. Horses used to gun fire and drivers/gunners who are both competent riders and gunners. The gun, limber, unforms etc would be the, relatively, easy part. A heck of a lot of training and working together on a consistent basis so that both horses and riders have confidence and trust in each other.
I've seen it done reasonably successfully in the US in an American Civil War context and it really adds to the spectacle.

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Godwin of Wessex
The cavalry do as they please, the infantry do as they're told and the artillery make their own arrangements
Callum
Sponsor


Location: Upper Hutt

PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:21 pm      Reply with quote

A mate of mine was looking to obtain WW1 horse artillery tack in the UK a year or so back to bring into NZ. The plan at the time was to also provide a team of 6 horses to draw an 18 lber (?) Birtish Field Gun as part of a possible future Omaka display. I think however that all this has fallen through.

It's a big ask as you say. Not only getting a team of similar sized horses that will work happily together as a team but also in training riders, etc. It's a very specialised skill that will take a long time to learn. I know that he was also looking at bringing in RHA people who already had these skills to NZ for the demonstration.

It's certainly something that while it sounds good is not that practical as you really need a dedicated team who will put all else aside for as long as it take to get it right.

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Callum Forbes
Order of the Boar - www.jousting.co.nz

Order of the Boar Historical Foot Combat -
www.hapkido.org.nz/upperhutt.html
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