Question about Photo?

[CJSchumacher]

I was looking at this fantastic photo and wondered something. Do you think this horse's main has been roached?? His hair could be on the other side of his neck, but there simply is none draping his face...merely a tuft?? Looks like it could have been roached and is now growing back! It certainly looks like its been more than just pulled!!

I know that roaching was fashionable in the early 20th century among the equestrian world and cavalry, which got me wondering how common this practice would have been during the 19th Century. It obviously is one good way to help maintain some cleanliness for prolonged periods. I don't thing it would have been a lack of electricity thing as manual clippers were used.

Thoughts...

Source: Civil War Image Database, Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia (http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/govd...ch_images.html).

[Huck]

My opinion the main has been roached, and if it was pulled, it would have more of a lay over effect.

[10nycav]

It has definitely been roached, you can tell from the forelock and how it comes to a point. Roaching was not generally practiced by the military during the Civil War. In fact Major James Congdon of the 12th PA Cavalry wrote in his 1864 Cavalry Compendium that "the mane and tail must never be cut." I wonder why it was, in this case.

Roaching seems to have become more common among both civilians and military riders after polo was introduced to the US, post Civil War. In polo, roaching the mane is standard practice. This is the first Civil War wartime image I have ever seen of a horse with a roached mane.

Ken Morris

My opinion the main has been roached, and if it was pulled, it would have more of a lay over effect.

[Linneus Ahearn]

The mane is definitely roached and because it's so square it looks as if it was cut recently with scissors. A roached mane doesn't have to be down to the neck. In this case it looks to be two to three inches from the base of the mane. A grown out mane from a base mane roach would be more ragged.

[major]

I could be wrong but the tack on the horse doesn’t look military maybe this horse belongs to some civilian and just happened to be handy when the photographer was also handy.
Terry

[K Bartsch]

Did you happen to notice the collar of his MSJ is cut-down too? This fellow clearly couldn't leave well enough alone

Cordially,

[10nycav]

I would not assume that the collar of the jacket is cut down. It's possible, at least, that this was a variant jacket rather than a soldier-made modification. I have seen photos of troopers in the 10th NY Cav where the standing collar was short like this. However, the bottom edges of the NY jackets were rounded rather than squared off, so they didn't look exactly like this one.

Ken Morris

Did you happen to notice the collar of his MSJ is cut-down too? This fellow clearly couldn't leave well enough alone

Cordially,

[CJSchumacher]

I could be wrong but the tack on the horse doesn’t look military maybe this horse belongs to some civilian and just happened to be handy when the photographer was also handy.
Terry

Terry,

This is most definitely a military set up. He is using a six-buckle bridle with what is clearly a '59 curb bit. You can even see two blanket rolls under his right arm coming down from the pommel. The only anomoly in equipment that I can see is the "possibility" of a buckle-on rein vs. regulation sewn. But that's even questionable.

[GBaylor]

Additionally, no halter or lead

John Sweeney