Ceremonial Horse Units

[Loyal and Free]

I hope this isn't a silly question, but this seemed like the place to ask it (because of the military nature, not the strangeness, of the question!).

I was recently in London with my family, and did the whole touristy bit, including the usual oohing over the mounted horse guard at Horse Guards Parade.  On the plane home, I was surprised to read an article in the National Post about a Canadian regiment, the Governor General's Horse Guards, that has a similar ceremonial unit.

I googled a copy of the article at the writer's web site, at http://www.maharaj.org/ltgovernor.shtml

I had no idea that Canada still has (or ever had) mounted cavalry units, and I had never even heard of "tent pegging" or that Canadian Forces riders beat out the Brit Household Cavalry in some of the disciplines at the world championships.

Are there many horse-mounted units around the country?  Do they mount a regular guard / parade / ceremony somewhere in Canada, like happens in London?  I read the Ottawa Ceremonial Guard web site, but they don't seem to have any horses.

I am curious about why we don't see Canadian mounted cavalry units out at public events, or at the funerals for fallen soldiers coming back from Afghanistan.  It seems to me that it would be great for the Canadian Forces to have the kind of public presence that the British Army has in London.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

I hope this isn't a silly question, but this seemed like the place to ask it (because of the military nature, not the strangeness, of the question!).

I was recently in London with my family, and did the whole touristy bit, including the usual oohing over the mounted horse guard at Horse Guards Parade.  On the plane home, I was surprised to read an article in the National Post about a Canadian regiment, the Governor General's Horse Guards, that has a similar ceremonial unit.

I googled a copy of the article at the writer's web site, at http://www.maharaj.org/ltgovernor.shtml

I had no idea that Canada still has (or ever had) mounted cavalry units, and I had never even heard of "tent pegging" or that Canadian Forces riders beat out the Brit Household Cavalry in some of the disciplines at the world championships.

Are there many horse-mounted units around the country?  Do they mount a regular guard / parade / ceremony somewhere in Canada, like happens in London?  I read the Ottawa Ceremonial Guard web site, but they don't seem to have any horses.

I am curious about why we don't see Canadian mounted cavalry units out at public events, or at the funerals for fallen soldiers coming back from Afghanistan.  It seems to me that it would be great for the Canadian Forces to have the kind of public presence that the British Army has in London.

I think the only unit that has a mouted part is LdSH(RC)

EDITED TO ADD:

Strathcona Mounted Troop

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Also the Governor Generals Horse Guards: http://www.gghg.org/cavalry/index.html

and of course the RCMP, who have the status of a regiment of dragoons. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/musicalride/index_e.htm

 

[geo]

There are many former Cavalry units that try as hard as they can to maintain their traditions

In the last year..... Montreal's Royal Canadian Hussars maintained a mounted troop... borrowing horses from the RCMP & City of Montreal's Mounted division.

 

[Loyal and Free]

Thanks for the answers - and especially for the photos of the Royal Canadian Hussars.

I googled some pictures of the other two regiments, some of which are really nice.

Governor General's Horse Guards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93681057@N00/ and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akaashmaharaj/

Lord Strathcona's Horse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/labels/347297729/

But I'm still wondering why all these cavalry troops have such a low profile.  Maybe its just me not paying attention, but I've lived in the Toronto and Montreal areas, and I had never seen or even heard of the GGHG or RCH, - and the GGHG even seems to have some pretty famous political-type people associated with it.  Is it just a question of funding, or are the Canadian Forces afraid the Canadian public might not like to see soldiers parading in the streets?

It just seems so strange to me.  When I went to London, my kids all wanted to see the horse guards - and there were literally hundreds of other families who obviously did too.  But it wasn't just a tourist attraction - it was like their country was proud of their soldiers and their military history, and wanted the world to see that they are an important part of British society.  I guess I wish there was a little more of that here in Canada.

 

[geo]

wrt the GGHG, you will see them serving the Lt Gov of Ontario at the running of the Queen's plate.
They provide an escort to the official horse drawn carriage.

WRT the RCH, horses are done on a spare time basis - the CF does not really spend a nickle on the horses (cause they are borrowed from the RCMP and the MUC Police).  They are NOT tourist attractions, though they do their damndest to be visible on Regimental functions.

 

[mom of two soldiers]

This past summer I had the privilege of seeing in person the Lord Strathcona's Mounted Troop ride at Spruce Meadows. The troop this year was much smaller then usual as many of the Strathcona's were deployed. Over half of the troop were brand new - never having ridden or dealt with horses before being assigned to the Troop. They did a superb job - just as good or better then the RCMP ride we saw the previous year. The public was very interested in seeing the horses and the soldiers. The horses were stabled in the centre of the beautiful venue of Spruce Meadows  - the stables were spotless, the horses beautifully groomed and the soldiers were polite, friendly and answered all sorts of questions.
The muscial ride was also dedicated to the fallen soldiers  - which was very touching and poignant. Many of the public would not have known that one of the riders had lost a brother in Afghanistan. Apparently the Troop wins first prize every year at the Calgary Stampede Parade and are a feature at Mozart on the Mountain in Canmore and also at the Pacific National Exhibition In Vancouver. the Troop is also a for runner of the current RCMP.  I guess it is our loss here in the East to not  be exposed to this part of Canadian history. 

 

[mom of two soldiers]

PS. I have pictures if any one would like to see them!

 

[Loyal and Free]

PS. I have pictures if any one would like to see them!

That would be great!  Can you post them here, or maybe post a link to them if you have them on a photo-sharing site like Flickr?

 

[mom of two soldiers]

I will try to post some here or find a website that is user friendly!

 

[mom of two soldiers]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14607384@N07/

Photos of Lord Strathconas Mounted Troop - june 2007

 

[medaid]

I will attest to the Mounted Troop's skills. I met them personally when they were at the PNE this year and I watched them perform. It was really well done!

 

[Scants]

and of course the RCMP, who have the status of a regiment of dragoons. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/musicalride/index_e.htm

[/quote]

I hadn't heard of this before.  I took a look on the RCMP site you linked to but didn't see it, where'd you get this from?

Scants

 

[geo]

and of course the RCMP, who have the status of a regiment of dragoons. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/musicalride/index_e.htm



I hadn't heard of this before.  I took a look on the RCMP site you linked to but didn't see it, where'd you get this from?

Scants

Dragoons - Heavy... heavy yellow stripe on trousers
Hussars - light - silver stripe on trousers

 

[Rowshambow]

SMT (Strathcona Mounted Troop) they ride in the west only. They do some rides to the east (such as our celebration 2000) but it is rare. They also did a stint as the guards in England too, this is a great hoour and I know the guys loved it! It's funny to know what goes on behind the scenes to get the riders and horses ready for the upcoming seasons, you always see a rider or 2 that have been bucked off of the "harder" to control horses!

 

[Loyal and Free]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14607384@N07/

Photos of Lord Strathconas Mounted Troop - june 2007

The photos are great!  I also came across the following site, for a competition between the remaining Canadian Forces cavalry units:

http://www.northamericancavalrychallenge.com/

The site says that the competition happened in March of this year, but doesn't give the results or photographs.  The only media coverage I could find for anything similar was for the world equestrian skill at arms championships in the Middle East, which a member of the Governor General's Horse Guards came in fourth in:

http://www.maharaj.org/blog-tentpegging.shtml

One last question: if the RCMP has the status of dragoons, does that mean that they can be called up for combat like a CF regiment?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Yes, they can be deployed just like us. Hence why originally a member of the CF couldn't be a member of the RCMP at the same time.

EDITED TO ADD:

Like GEO said since they aren't part of the ORBAT of the CF they won't be in a combat roll but can be deployed to assist in training Police officers in those areas.

An example of this would be Haiti.

 

[geo]

The RCMP is not part of the ORBAT of the Canadian forces..... so, to answer your question.... NO!

 

[akaash]

The photos are great!  I also came across the following site, for a competition between the remaining Canadian Forces cavalry units:

http://www.northamericancavalrychallenge.com/

The site says that the competition happened in March of this year, but doesn't give the results or photographs.  The only media coverage I could find for anything similar was for the world equestrian skill at arms championships in the Middle East, which a member of the Governor General's Horse Guards came in fourth in:

http://www.maharaj.org/blog-tentpegging.shtml

One last question: if the RCMP has the status of dragoons, does that mean that they can be called up for combat like a CF regiment?

I trust you will not find it to be in questionable taste to chime in on a matter in which one's own name (or at least web site) has been raised, but I did think it was incumbent upon me to correct one small matter in Loyal and Free's kind posting: when I competed at the World Tent Pegging Championships earlier this year, I placed fourth only in the mounted sabre discipline (often known by the more prosaic term "Lemon and Pegs") and not in the overall standings.  The overall standings were dominated by South Africa, who fielded a truly outstanding team of horsemen.

On the matter of the RCMP, Geo and Nfld Sapper are of course correct that the Mounties are not part of the Canadian Forces ORBAT and therefore could not be "called up" like a reserve regiment.  The RCMP's status as a regiment of dragoons was an honour granted to them by George V in 1921 for past service by Mounties during wartime, and did not signal an evolution into (or recognition as) a Canadian Forces unit.  In 1935, the RCMP became (to the best of my knowledge; I hope one of our colleagues will correct me if I am mistaken) the only civilian police force in the Commonwealth to receive consecrated regimental colours, in the form of a cavalry guidon.

In each campaign in which they collectively participated, groups of Mounties were given leaves from the RCMP to join existing Canadian Forces units (e.g. the Canadian Mounted Rifles during the Boer War, the Canadian Light Horse during WWI), although entire squadrons or companies of those CF units might be made up solely of Mounties (e.g. No. 1 Provost Company RCMP of the Canadian Provost Corps during WWII).  The North-West rebellion is a bit of an anomaly, as civil conflicts tend to be: the North-West Mounted Police (the RCMP's predecessor) participated in the campaign against Riel as a police force, but did so in concert with the militia, and the RCMP was later granted a conventional battle honour for "North West Canada 1885".

 

[George Wallace]

I trust you will not find it to be in questionable taste to chime in on a matter in which one's own name (or at least web site) has been raised,

As  a matter of fact I do.  Since the time that you have both registered onto this site, I have been wondering a lot.  You seem to be playing a game with us, seeing as you are both registered from the same address and now promoting this on this site.

What kind of game are you two playing here?