Trotting a Horse

[Vista52]

One of my Gt Uncles was given FP #2 for "Trotting a Horse under a Limber". He enlisted while he was underage, so is this like youthfully hot-rodding his horse?

[keithfazzani]

Either that or simply not keeping the horse under control?

[CGM]

I can remember, but can't find, a thread where a page from a service record was posted so we could try and decipher the reason for a punishment.

If I remember correctly it was thought to be for trotting a cob through a village.

CGM

Edit - found it:

HERE

[Vista52]

Thanks Keith & CGM for the reply. Not having any personal experience with horses, I was thinking why couldn't he trot a horse under a limber. ....... I wasn't thinking about disobeying orders and such. Maybe, as a Limber was mentioned, there was a Gun attached to that and (as Piorum mentioned in the link) Artillery didn't trot horses.

Thanks again.

[keithfazzani]

Thanks Keith & CGM for the reply. Not having any personal experience with horses, I was thinking why couldn't he trot a horse under a limber. ....... I wasn't thinking about disobeying orders and such. Maybe, as a Limber was mentioned, there was a Gun attached to that and (as Piorum mentioned in the link) Artillery didn't trot horses.

Thanks again.

To clarify I believe it means trotting horse whilst attached to limber, i.e. trotting the limber. It would of course be impossible to get a horse under a limber, unless it was a very small Shetland pony! Presumably the artillery like the cavalry were very strict about the paces (walk, trot, canter, gallop) and when they should be used. I imagine as I said that it may not have been high jinks, simply an inability to control the horse at the correct pace for the conditions and circumstances. With so many horses and various wheeled transports attached to them one driver doing the wrong thing could very easily cause chaos.

[Vista52]

Yes Keith, I understood that point but my wife remarked "what was he doing riding a horse under a limber", so it does happen!!

Thanks.