SIG MMG 338 Program Series

Ask SSD – Modern Cavalry?

It’s amazing what can happen at a bar. A few weeks ago I was sitting at a bar in North Carolina when an old industry friend asked me a question about a product he was looking for to go camping with his family. I rattled off an answer and he said that I should start a weekly feature. Well Patrick, you’re right, “Ask SSD” would be a great weekly feature but since I answered your question, I though I’d kick it off with something that I couldn’t answer. Another industry friend sent me this photo wondering who these guys were. Since crowdsourcing is the future, I take it to you, my readers, to help identify these modern-day horse soldiers.

Modern Horse Cavalry Scouts_

42 Responses to “Ask SSD – Modern Cavalry?”

  1. tim says:

    god damn mongolians!

  2. Ethan says:

    They would appear to be Chinese.
    http://bbs.tiexue.net/post2_5719012_1.html

  3. Paradigm SRP says:

    Looks like chinese camo and horse tack.

    • straps says:

      The horse tack (“Portugese” stirrups) is common to Mongolian and PL armies (at least the PLA cav that traces its heritage to the Gobi frontier).

      Most PLA now have a digital flektarn camo family that I would hate to try to discriminate on THEIR turf.

  4. I’m going to hazard a guess and say Chinese patrol working out in the northern/eastern wilderness.

  5. Deepy says:

    Anybody know the name of that 3d leafy suit? want, want, WANT!

    • straps says:

      USGI camo “Diamond” and “Repair Kit”–favorable NIR, Radar and FR characteristics and surplus store cheap.

  6. Ethan says:

    I can’t find any English sources, but it would appear that they are definitely Mongolian Cavalry.

  7. patrulje says:

    Sad to say the Mongolians were the most professional soldiers at the ISAF Joint Command.

    CSM (ret) J.

  8. May be closer than you think. I suggest a look at Camp Lejeune’s
    Installation newspaper last week.

  9. Ville says:

    I lived in Mongolia for 3 years and based on the sadles, the plait rope and especially the stirrup those are Mongolian warriors.

  10. D2 says:

    Im guessing they sliced the horses open to keep their buddies warm

  11. Straps

    Thank you, very cool article I thought.

  12. subchasr says:

    Do the horses do a “sniper crawl” or do they lay there until the coast is clear?

  13. bulldog76 says:

    those guys really earn the spurs

  14. James says:

    They’re Mongolian guards at the Chinese-Mongolian border

  15. Canadian says:

    So nobody else thinks it’s ridiculous to get on a ghillie suit and lay behind a gigantic brown horse? No cam for the horse, but for yourself BEHIND the horse, how does that make sense?

    • straps says:

      1. Hopefully you’re aware that horses lay down to sleep. Concealment.

      2. They also die in that position. Concealment.

      3. In a standup fight, they will use the horse for cover. A Mongolian on his feet is only slightly less dangerous than a Mongolian on a horse. Especially if you shot his horse:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry-OuWGhjVg

      4. Horse burns zero JP4, and produces all the cooking fuel the trooper will need to boil down the same grass the horse eats to sustain him.

      Those dudes are hard. They send their best to be trained by the US, the Russians, the Chinese, the Commonwealth, old Europe, new Europe and everyone else who has ever had success on a battlefield. Then they pick, choose and whittle into doctrine that works for them. It’s a veritable Mongolian BBQ of theory and doctrine. They got it like that because they are sitting on energy and mineral wealth beyond estimation.

      It is AWESOME to pick the brain of a professional warrior that has been to EVERY C&S course worth attending ANYWHERE–assuming you have a taste and tolerance for vodka, after which, well, see the above YouTube link.

      So yeah, keep on laughing…

      Oh, and one more thing: They are to date the ONLY men to have EVER truly pacified Afghanistan.

      • Strike-Hold says:

        Well said sir.

      • bman says:

        Very well said. I think Canadian made some good points though. Three horses laying with saddles are obviously not wild horses sleeping in the grass so it would make sense to use some of camo on them. With that being, I dont think they are using this method on a SR mission or as the brits call it, close target recon. Merely for scouting things out while on a patrol. I didnt know the Mongolians were on good terms with China or Russia though.

  16. Aaron says:

    I always wanted to know how to get my horse to lay down like the can did.

  17. Aaron says:

    *CAV

  18. Nick says:

    I have seen some similar pictures of PLA horse cavalry doing a similar tactic..either way it is cool to see that Horses are still used.

  19. UnclearFizzyCyst says:

    Unlike the DNPR motorcycle combo these transports keep you warmer on those balmy Gobi Winter nights.

  20. blue says:

    The Rhodesian used cav with great success the Grey Scouts.