History of the Drum Horse

History of the Drum Horse

There are three types of Drum Horse: the War Drum Horse, the Traditional Ceremonial Drum Horse, and the Modern Ceremonial Drum Horse.

The War Drum Horse

 Current which was used thoughout Europe and Asia from  

NOTE: The most well-known Irish War Horses in history were Emperor Napoleon's white horse Marengo bred in North Cork, Ireland, and the Duke of Wellington's Copenhagen, purchased at the Cahirmee Horse Fair in Ireland.

The worldwide Drum Horse registries have reached the stage where it has become necessary to have the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England recognised and standardised by its country of origin, or it will ‘fade out’. The country of origin of the original (1990s) Drum Horse must therefore be agreed by the worldwide Drum Horse registries. The following considerations must therefore by taken in account by the worldwide Drum Horse registries.

1. That the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England, that inspired a number of Drum Horse Registries to be established in different countries, were from Ireland (ROI) and therefore the result of Irish breeding.

1. That although the Gypsy Cob (aka ‘Gypsy’ in the USA) was originally the big original (aka 1990s) Irish Cob from Ireland (ROI) that in 1996 was renamed (rebranded) in the USA as the Gypsy Vanner Horse, the ‘true’ Gypsy Cob is too small, stocky and hairy to be a Drum Horse, and does not have the look of the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England, and that is a reason why the percentage of ‘Gypsy’ in Drum Horses from 15.3 hands is getting smaller, and also a reason why they are becoming more Shire Horse or Clydesdale Horse, and therefore less with the original (1990s) predominant colours (piebald and skewbald).

1. That a Drum Horse breed standard that requires a Gypsy x Shire or Clydesdale not only requires the crossing of all British breeds (not Irish) – i.e. the Gypsy Cob that was developed in England/the UK (Great Britain) from the Irish Cob from Ireland (ROI), the Shire Horse from England/the UK (Great Britain), and the Clydesdale Horse from Scotland/the UK (Great Britain). And, that Ireland (ROI), as the country of origin of the Drum Horse, would therefore not have a Drum Horse breed standard that requires that requires a Gypsy x Shire or Clydesdale. 

1. That a pure-bred Irish Cob (an actual breed established many decades ago) in Ireland (ROI) is big enough to be a Drum Horse, and that pure-bred Irish Cob also absolutely has the look of (is the same) as at least one of the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England. And, that the Traditional Cob Registry (TCR) in Ireland (ROI) is therefore now also registering Large Irish Cobs (from 15.3 hands to 16.2 hands) as Drum Horses, and Oversize Irish Cobs (16.3 hands and over) as Classic Drum Horses. That because the Oversize Irish Cob (16.3 hands and over) is not favoured in Ireland (ROI), registering them in Ireland (ROI) also as a Classic Drum Horse is excellent for Oversize Irish Cob breeding in Ireland (ROI).

1. That the part-bred Irish Cob (Irish Cob x Irish Draught Horse) is big enough to be a Drum Horse, and that the part-bred Irish Cob (Irish Cob x Irish Draught Horse – probably 75% Large or Oversize Irish Cob and 25% Irish Draught Horse) also absolutely has the look of (is the same as) the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England That the Traditional Cob Registry (TCR) in Ireland (ROI) is now also registering part-bred Irish Cobs from 15.3 hands to 16.2 hands as Drum Horses, and part-bred Irish Cobs 16.3 hands and over as Classic Drum Horses. 

2. That because the Shire Horse and Clydesdale Horse are British breeds that can be roman nosed and that can have close (turned in) hocks, the Traditional Cob Registry (TCR) in Ireland (ROI) does not register Shire Horses or Clydesdale Horse as foundation Irish Cob Drum Horse breeding stock. However, where TCR has accepted an animal for registration as a Drum Horse or Classic Drum Horse based on its visual appearance, TCR will include Shire Horse and Clydesdale Horse ascendants on its TCR pedigree, and also any other breed that is an ascendant such as a Friesian.

3. That the reason why the Drum Horses now used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England are almost all Shire Horses is because they were historically (before the 1980s) the breed used for this role (a pure British breed), and possibly also because they are not coloured (piebald or skewbald). Although coloured (piebald and skewbald) horses have (from the 1980s) been accepted in the British army for the job of Drum Horse only, it could appear that piebald and skewbald (the typical Irish Cob colours) are being phased out in the British army as a Drum Horse colours, and that any remaining piebald or skewbald Drum Horses may be replaced by solid coloured horses, or roan coloured horses (the typical Shire Horse and Clydesdale Horse colours).   

It is no wonder that the world Drum Horse registries, which were founded because of the look of the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England, are getting less registrations. To get more registrations they need the original (1990s) Drum Horse recognised and standardised in its country of origin Ireland (ROI). If the world Drum Horse registries, which were founded because of the look of the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England, want their original (1990s) Drum Horses (their vision) to be protected, it cannot be done in England/the UK (Great Britain), it can only be done in Ireland (RIO) and therefore in the country of origin of the original (1900s) Drum Horses. The Traditional Cob Registry (TCR) in Ireland (ROI) is honoured to represent and register the original (1990s) Drum Horses used by the Life Guards of the British Royal Household Cavalry in England.