drum horse

drum horse (plural drum horses)

1. (UK) A horse that carries a rider and two silver kettle drums in certain ceremonies of state.
   • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Rout of the White Hussars”, in Plain Tales from the Hills:

     The soul of the Regiment lives in the Drum-Horse who carries the silver kettle-drums. He is nearly always a big piebald Waler. That is a point of honour; and a Regiment will spend anything you please on a piebald.

   • 1963, Cyril Nelson Barclay, History of the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers, 1925-1961, page 194:

     “Alexander,” The Life Guards' drum horse, kindly lent for the occasion, carried the 5th Lancer's silver kettle-drums draped with the 16th Lancer's drum banners.

   • 2009, Michael Korda, Horse People: Scenes from the Riding Life:

     As they drew closer, I recognized the horse— it was none other than Clarence, the regimental drum horse of the mounted band of the Life Guards, who on parade bears a vast, heavy silver kettle drum on either side just ahead of the saddle.

   • 6 May 2023, Rachel Cooke, “It was ludicrous but also magnificent: the coronation stirred every emotion”, in The Guardian‎:

     A drum horse called Apollo would not behave, skittering sideways determinedly.

2. A breed of heavy riding horse with thick main and tail and abundant feathers starting at the knees and hocks.
   • 1993, William Lloyd, Challengers and Chargers: A History of the Life Guards, 1945–92, page 74:

     The Queen, whose profound knowledge of the breeding of horses is well known, became interested in breeding drum-horses in recent years and has provided some to the Household Cavalry and has further potential stock at Hampton Court.

   • 2009, The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide, page 381:

     Inspections for licensing of stallions are the same for both the Drum Horse and Gypsy Cob.

   • 2017, Élise Rousseau, Horses of the World, page 55:

     There are very few of them in the world, and it is very rare to see Drum Horses, whose antecedents are also small in number.

   • 2023, Bernadette Johnson, The Big Book of Horse Trivia for Kids:

     The drum horse is a breed of draft (or draught) horse originally bred in England to carry kettledrum players and their heavy 300-pound drums during processions that included the English royal family's Household Cavalry.