The final form of officers’ uniform in mounted review order is illustrated here by Richard Simkin some time in 1914, before the outbreak of war. The officer’s sword hangs from gold laced slings that are fixed to a webbing belt concealed under his tunic. The sabretache had been discontinued in 1902 and the shabraque discontinued in 1897 so that the only horse furniture was the black sheepskin with red scalloped edge. The blue breeches appear quite pale in this painting but were dark blue with a broad yellow stripe; this replaced the gold stripe on trousers and breeches in 1893. The officer wears the regimental collar badge of the Habsburg double-headed eagle, but this was removed in 1915 after Austro-Hungary became Britain’s enemy.
The officer in khaki service dress has brown leather Sam Browne belt, boots, gloves and chin strap on his cap peak. The trumpeter is distinguished by his white horse-hair plume. He has yellow aiguillettes on his left shoulder and a trumpet on his back strung and tasselled with red, blue and yellow cords.
