On of the great pleasures of running the WW1 Horse web site is the articles people from around the world send us. One article is 'The horseman's salute'. Unfortunately we have lost the identity of this wonderful piece of information, but article is so good we still wanted to include it.

"In his history of the British Cavalry - Volume 7, 'The Curragh Incident and the Western Front 1914' - the Marquis of Anglesey mentions that a British officer recognised a French officer as a fellow horseman by the salute he gave him.

However, the author was not able to describe the manner of this greeting, when I questioned him.

After some research, both amongst other riders and experimentally, we ended up deciding the form of this salute, agreeing that it possibly emanated from the need to salute, whilst carrying a riding crop in the right hand.

The Marquis agreed that the following solution was the most likely.

The salute is carried out with the index and second fingers of the right hand touching the peak of the cap, whilst the thumb and remaining fingers are folded into the palm of the hand.  Hold a pen in the palm of the right hand, as you would a riding crop, with the thumb and the third and fourth fingers. 

Then extend the index and second figure.  Remove the pen and that is the shape of the hand for the Horseman's Salute - a bit like a Cub Scout salute!  It is most often seen these days being given by jockeys as they return to the unsaddling enclosure.

I remember a painting by Simkins, showing a British cavalry officer greeting a French cuirassier officer (circa 1914), both giving this salute.  The title was something like 'A meeting at the crossroads'.  However, I cannot remember where I saw this picture.

I hope this is of interest.
CRH 04.10.2000