The drumhorse of the King’s Dragoon Guards was photographed at Aldershot in the year that the regiment went to South Africa to serve in the Zulu War. The drummer is a private, wearing dress uniform and yellow aiguillettes on his left shoulder (barely visible). He has a white plume on his brass helmet which was the regulation for musicians and trumpeters whereas the rest of the regiment had red plumes. He has a white pouch-belt and a black leather pouch.
The grey horse carries the drums, clothed with blue velvet banners. The embroidered badge of the regiment formed the central part of the design; a blue velvet quilted Garter inscribed HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE with the VR cypher in the centre and a Victorian crown above. A laurel spray surrounded the badge with KING’S . DRAGOON . GUARDS on a three part scroll beneath, and WATERLOO and SEVASTOPOL on smaller scrolls either side. The honours for PEKIN and TAKU FORTS are lower down and on the right and left of the design.
There was no shabraque at this stage, only a black sheepskin saddle cover. The bridle had a red throat plume but no horsehair plume on top of the horse’s head.
