HOME ABOUT US CONTACTS & ORDERING PRODUCTS   SADDLES   SADDLE ACCESSORIES   BRIDLES   HALTERS   BAGGAGE & FORAGE   KNAPSACKS   ACCOUTREMENTS LEATHER & LEATHER CARE SADDLE FITTING 7-YEARS WAR REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAR OF 1812 AMERICAN CIVIL WAR  Contact Us:         Stuart Lilie, Saddler         130 Mansfield Rd.         Ashford, CT 06278         info@stuartliliesaddles.com         (860) 208 3111	Products - Saddle Accessories
	Cloak Straps While no originals from the 18th century survive, these cloak and baggage straps are based in construction on other original straps with similar function. Supply returns and regulations show that even for saddles with only two staples in the cantle for baggage, these straps were always issued in sets of three. Typically each dragoon's kit included two sets of cloak straps; one set for his cloak, and one lower quality or older set of straps to secure baggage and forage on the march. My reproduction cloak straps are hand-stitched English bridle leather, with hand-forged iron buckles. Single baggage straps for later periods with iron roller, square brass, horseshoe, or crown buckles are available as well. Double cloak straps originate in French service where they show up in the late 1730's and remain in one form or another to the 20th century. Double cloak straps have two buckles on one strap to accommodate the cloak rolled up on top of a dragoon's baggage on campaign. They show up in British service by the 1760's but disappear again in the 1790's, as later regulations move the cloak from the cantle to over the holsters on the pommel.         Single Cloak Straps, set of 3: $56.50 Double Cloak Straps, set of 3: $87.25 English Dragoon Breastplate The English dragoon breastplate is typical of all heavy dragoon breastplates. It buckles around the horse's chest and loops around the girth straps. The height of it is then adjusted by straps on either side that buckle onto both sides of the pommel. The breastplate was mostly for securing the holster pipes and carbine bucket, all of which buckled to it. It also helped keep the saddle from sliding back, which could be a real concern with a fully loaded saddle. This breastplate is based on Morier paintings which, when blown up, give striking detail of construction. This breastplate shows up with dragoon saddles, 1756 Light Troop saddles, and even some American civilian saddles modified for military service in the Seven Year's War and American Revolution. English Dragoon Breastplate: $111.25 English Dragoon Pillion The English dragoon pillion was described in the period by a variety of names; pillion, cloak pillion, cloak pad, portmanteau saddle, and simply, pad. By any name, it was sort of a mini saddle laced behind the actual saddle to support the cloak and baggage on the horse's back. The crupper loops through the pillion to keep it and the baggage from bouncing when the horse moves at speed. Pillions, especially the very large, wide English dragoon pillion, do an excellent job at protecting the horse from even heavy loads. With out them a portmantle can easily take the skin right of a horse's spine. Pillions also acted to improve a horse's silhouette, flattening the line between the cantle of the saddle and the horse's quarters, giving saddle housings the desired drape. English Dragoon Pillion: $155.00 Elliot Light Dragoon Dragoon Breastplate The Elliot Light Dragoon Breastplate buckles into the saddle only on either side of the pommel, rather than looping around the girths as with heavy dragoon breastplates. The difference was supposed to help free up the horse's shoulders to take better advantage of the stamina of English hunter mounts. Early Elliot breastplates were pointed in the chest, to vaguely reference hussars. Later ones have a smaller round leather tab in the center of the chest like heavy dragoon breastplates. Elliot Light Dragoon Breastplate: $17.80 Elliot Light Dragoon Pillion The Elliot Light Dragoon Pillion is basically a lightened version of the heavy dragoon pillion. The Elliot patterns lightened every piece and part of dragoon harness to lower the weight on the horse. These patterns sought to enhance the cross-country stamina of English cobs and hunters, who needed speed to achieve the impact that heavy dragoon mounts achieved with mass. The Elliot pillion is essential for carrying baggage with the Elliot saddle, which has a very minimal cantle. It also gives horse furniture the proper drape over the horse's flanks. My pillions are hand stitched with English Bridle leather and real wool saddle serge. Elliot Light Dragoon Pillion: $140.00 1767 Selle de Dragons Breastplate The 1767 Selle de Dragons Breastplate is basically the same form as the English dragoon breastplate in that it loops around the girths and buckles onto either side of the pommel. The French breastplate rides lower on the horse's chest than the English Breastplate, and adjusts at the center of the horse's chest rather than at the sides. The French Breastplate also secures the holster pipes pipes higher up. The dimensions are taken from the 1786 regulations, which sometimes are too big for smaller chested horses. Let me know if this may be the case for your horse when ordering. Later and earlier patterns are available. Selle de Dragon Breastplate: $105.25 "Y style" English Breastplate During the mid-1790's, especially after 1796, British Cavalry and officers switched to the Y style breastplate familiar in the 19th century, matching what had come into fashion for hussars on the continent of Europe. Prior, English military breastplates during the 18th century just looped around the horse's chest without a lower strap connected to the circingle. These new style breastplates were often, but not always, used just like hussar breastplates, with the holster pipes and ends of the cloak strapped to the breastplate for security. I'm reproducing the heavy dragoon, light dragoon, and officer's variants in English London tan bridle leather. "Y style" English Breastplate: $98.00 American Militia Breastplate The 1793 United States Militia Act required breastplates for all light dragoon volunteers as well. Breastplates made with girth webbing were extremely common for Militia service. They were even specified in the 1833 dragoon regulations and subsequent supply documents to be made of yellowish buff worsted webbing. Images of Light Artillery officers as late as the 1850's show red worsted wool breastplates. Unlike contemporary British breastplates which were made in the Y style, early 19th century American breastplates were typically made as a V, without any lower strap connecting to the circingle. The only original American breastplates or images that have straps down to the circingle are those with running martingales built into them. My reproduction is hand-stitched red and blue worsted wool webbing and London tan English bridle leather. Breastplate hearts cast off an original with a light dragoon motif and plain breastplate hearts are available. American Militia Breastplate: $107.75 1767 Selle de Dragons Pillion The 1767 Selle de Dragons Pillion was as well-engineered as the saddle itself. Rather than lacing onto the saddle, these pillions actually buckle onto the saddle. All edges get bound in leather, so these pillions last practically forever. 18th century French regulations call the pillion, the \i Coussin\i0 or cushion as it cushions the horse's back from a dragoons cloak and baggage. The dimensions and construction details from this pillion is taken from the 1786 \i reglement\i and 1750's technical diagrams. As with the saddle itself, earlier and later patterns of this pillion are available. 1767 Selle de Dragons Pillion: $160.00 Early 19th Century American Pillion Pillions were required as equipment for militia light dragoon service in the 1793 United State Militia Act. Given that these were purchased by volunteers from civilian saddlers, there was considerable variations on the same central theme. The style I reproduce shows up in militia manuals and descriptions the most commonly of any style. It's almost hour glass in shape with slot in the center to be restuffed as necessary based on the weight it's supporting. It's an essential piece of equipment for protecting the horse's back from the weight and friction of a valise on the march. All regulations, and supply orders for militia and US regular light dragoons prior to 1841 include these. My reproduction is hand-stitched with English bridle leather, bound edges, and cotton or wool ticking. Early 19th Century Pillion: $124.50 English Dragoon Stirrups In the English-speaking world, stirrups changed very slowly from the mid-17th century to the end of the 18th century. No standardized military pattern appears in Britain before 1796, but by custom they seem to be pretty uniform. Dragoon stirrups tend to be more conservative in style, but not altogether different than civilian stirrups. Given how long stirrups lasted and archaeological evidence, these stirrups show up in a military and civilian context long after they ceased to be fashionable. This particular style is appropriate for both British, American, military, and civilian impressions prior to the 1790's. These English dragoon stirrups are hand-forged and hand-filed right off originals, right here in the USA. English Dragoon Stirrups: $150.00(per pair) Civillian Stirrups While these civilian stirrups appear very modern, their style shows up by the end of the 17th century. Several original stirrups of this basic style have come out of sites in North America. A pair of this style even came out of a 1690's cellar on Jamestown Island. This type of stirrup shows up in images most commonly among fox hunters during the 18th century and later. It's a good, light civilian stirrup, that's very strong in construction. It's hand-forged and finished in the USA. The original is quite narrow, it won't fit feet larger than a men's size 10. Civillian Stirrups: $150(per pair) English Stirrup Leathers These 18th century stirrup leathers are made out of heavy duty English bridle back, to reduce stretch, and hand stitched with hand twisted hemp cord coated with black wax. The roller buckles are copied off 18th century originals that survive with the fragments of two 18th century sidesaddles; they are hand-forged and filed in the USA. These stirrup leathers also include the heavy-duty sliding keeper that all original images show riding just above the stirrup itself. The English hussar stirrup leathers are the English version of hussar stirrup leathers. Unlike most 18th and early 19th century stirrup leathers, where the buckle is set at the top with the stirrup bar, hussar stirrup leathers place the buckle at the bottom by the stirrup. The excess stirrup leather is then looped through an extra keeper in the Hungarian fashion. The English version copies this style, but in English London tan harness leather. These were common among British officers by the late 1790's as well as enlisted light dragoons and Hussars after 1805. hand forged roller buckles Plain Stirrup Leathers: $108.00(per pair) English Hussar Stirrup Leathers: $112.00(per Pair) Plain Crupper Cruppers help keep the saddle from sliding forward when stopping or going downhill, but in more normal marching, they keep the pillion from bouncing. Thus far in research, cruppers don't seem to vary from country to country or pattern to pattern during the 18th century. I suppose there was no point reinventing the wheel. American militia cruppers from the early 19th century are available with later hardware. I hand-stitch these unglamorous straps in English bridle leather. Crupper, Plain: $57.25 English 19th Century Crupper The English 19th century crupper was adopted in 1796 and is really the English version of hussar cruppers. The English 19th century crupper forms an X, buckling to D's on the fans behind the cantle of the 1796 heavy dragoon saddle or the 1805 Hussar saddle. The same basic form survives right up to WWII. Like all 19th century British Harness it's made of London tan bridle leather. English 19th Century Crupper: $73.00 Worsted Girth 17th, 18th, and early 19th century girths were actually multiple, individual, worsted webbing straps. The regional custom of these girths varied, but the basic girth straps didn't. Starting from the 1660's English girths typically consisted of two parallel girth straps covered by a longer overgirth or circingle. This basic arrangement is typical of American girths until the 1830's when saddles fitted for a single girth strap and circingle start to appear. During the 18th century, French civilian saddles had two girth straps that formed an X underneath the horse for civilian use. Prior to the 1776 regulations, when circingles became popular, French military saddles used a third strap over the other two for extra security. Germanic saddlery generally joined 3 very narrow girth straps together into one large girth strap. Above a heart shaped leather reenforcement, the small girth straps fanned out to buckle into the saddle's billets. In the 1790's this German custom of girthing was adopted in French and British military saddlery regulations. All girth straps are hand stitched with hand-forged roller buckles and English leather chapes copied from the 1809 Essex Catalog, Stubbs paintings, and French technical manuals. 99.99% of girth webbing prior to 1800 was plain white, which is exactly what isn't commercially available at this time. I'm currently working on getting white worsted girth webbing reproduced. I won't have a final price per strap or circingle until I know the final cost of webbing. Girth: market price Leather Circingles In British service, leather circingles first show up in the estimates for expenses for Provincial light dragoons during the American Revolution. They were cheap and on campaign they could be very durable. They were made standard with the 1796 Heavy Dragoon saddle, remaining in use until WWII. I make these circingles with hand-forged roller buckles in black English Bridle leather for Revolutionary war use, and in London tan English bridle leather for British Napoleonic use. Leather Circingle: $93.25 English Hussar Circingle The English hussar circingle secures a shabraque over the English hussar saddle in the manner of a hussar's circingle. In early 19th century fashion it's made of English London tan bridle leather. This is typical of many British officer's and was standard for enlisted light dragoons and Hussars after about 1805. English Hussar Circingle: $96.86 English Butt Down Carbine Bucket The English Dragoon carbine bucket ought better to be termed a musket bucket as the dragoon musket prior to 1796 was the same length and bore as the 2nd land pattern musket. The bucket hangs from a ring on the pommel, cradling the butt of the musket. Another smaller strap off the same ring wraps around the swell of the musket and buckles to secure it in place. Typically the musket rode under the holster, over the dragoon's thigh, and just up behind his shoulder with the lock in towards the horse. Based on the 1742 clothing book among other accounts, it appears that heavy dragoons slung their muskets across their backs, with the muzzles by the left shoulder, when anticipating action. This better secured the gun at the gallop, provided a modicum of back protection in a charge. While the light troops of 1756 received special, short carbines, they still used the dragoon muzzle-down carbine buckets with their new light troop saddles. The papers of General Forbes show that in 1758 the VA light horse received this type of bucket as well. They may well have been in occasional use during the Revolutionary War. English Butt Down Carbine Bucket: $155.50 English Light Dragoon Muzzle Down Carbine Bucket Starting with the Elliot pattern, English light dragoon carbine buckets carried the carbine with the muzzle down as opposed to the traditional dragoon and horse carbine buckets that carried the butt down. The bucket buckles to the lower ring on the pommel of the saddle providing a leather socket for the muzzle of the carbine. A narrower strap called the wrist strap attached to the same ring to the pommel as the bucket itself. On the march, a light dragoon would unclip the carbine from his carbine sling, then wrap and buckle the wrist strap around the wrist of the carbine, securing it against his thigh. Then and now, strapping the carbine into the bucket while clipped to the carbine belt was a bad and dangerous idea. This reproduction of the light dragoon carbine bucket is hand stitched in English leather with hand forged buckles and an iron ring for the picket post. Picket posts were rarely used in America, but quite common on campaign in Europe. Either way the buckets were still made to accept them. English Muzzle Down Carbine Bucket: $130.50 French Carbine Bucket Research seems to indicate that French carbine buckets came into continental stores along with French saddlery imported during the American Revolution. Given the amount of short carbines used by Continental light dragoons prior to 1779, these buckets were probably muzzle down patterns, as used with the short carbines of the Cavalrie and Hussards. In terms of construction these carbine buckets are very different than their English contemporaries, but almost identical in function including the wrist strap, and picket post ring. Napoleonic patterns, and butt down buckets for Dragoon Fusils are available as well. French Carbine Bucket: $125.50 18th Century Holsters with straps Prior to the 1780's, holsters are almost identical in size, shape, and construction across Europe. After considerable research, I've found strikingly little difference in dimensions. I've placed holsters from the 1660's and 1750's side by side, and found less than 1/8" of difference in all dimensions. Further study of pistols found that the dimensions of the locks, triggers, and wrists have a similar lack of variation. National distinctions in construction seem to show up only in the construction of the end cap, and the color of the leather. German and English holsters were black as they considered them part of the harness of the saddle, while French holsters where fair colored leather as they considered them part of the saddle. These reproduction 18th century holsters are the only documented holsters available. They are hand stitched and stiffened using period techniques like jacking with pine tar. They come with the straps to buckle them to staples on the pommel of the saddle, as they were originally issued. I'm currently working on getting iron reinforcing rings which show up in the edge binding of some original holsters. I'm also researching very early flat transitional holsters that appear at the cusp of the Revolutionary War. 18th Century Holsters with Straps: $300(per pair)