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postilion
Sign in to savethumb|This coach, designed without a driver's seat, and is guided by a postilion riding the left-side horse. thumb|Postilions control the horses drawing the Diamond Jubilee State Coach|Queen's coach at the [[State Opening of Parliament, London 2015.]] thumb|Postilions at the Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan|state funeral of Ronald Reagan, 2004 thumb|I ANZAC Corps|ANZAC horses and postilions struggle to move a gun, Passchendaele, 1917, by [[Harold Septimus Power.]] A postilion or postillion is a person who rides a harnessed horse that is pulling a horse-drawn vehicle such as a coach, ra
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Mount
- Livery
- Purposes
- Travel by post
- Artillery
- Derivative terminology and use
- See also
- Notes
- References
thumb|This coach, designed without a driver's seat, and is guided by a postilion riding the left-side horse. thumb|Postilions control the horses drawing the Diamond Jubilee State Coach|Queen's coach at the [[State Opening of Parliament, London 2015.]] thumb|Postilions at the Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan|state funeral of Ronald Reagan, 2004 thumb|I ANZAC Corps|ANZAC horses and postilions struggle to move a gun, Passchendaele, 1917, by [[Harold Septimus Power.]] A postilion or postillion is a person who rides a harnessed horse that is pulling a horse-drawn vehicle such as a coach, rather than driving from behind as a coachman does. This method is used for pulling wheeled vehicles that do not have a driver's seat, such as many ceremonial state coaches and artillery limbers and caissons. Postilion riders are generally arranged one rider for each pair of horses, riding the left horse.
Originally the English name for a guide or forerunner for the post (mail) or a messenger, it became transferred to the actual mail carrier or messenger and also to a person who rides a (hired) post horse. The same persons made themselves available as a less expensive alternative to hiring a coachman, particularly for light, fast vehicles.