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Apostilion orpostillion is a person who rides a harnessed horse that is pulling a horse-drawn vehicle such as acoach, rather than driving from behind as acoachman does. This method is used for pulling wheeled vehicles that do not have a driver's seat, such as many ceremonialstate coaches and artillerylimbers and caissons. Postilion riders are generally arranged one rider for each pair of horses, riding the left horse.[1][2][3]: 373
Originally the English name for a guide or forerunner for the post (mail) or a messenger, it became transferred to the actualmail 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.
A carriage or coach that was arranged without a driver's seat and intended for guidance by postilions, hadà la Daumont appended, such as "coach à la Daumont". Daumont is a corruption of the Frenchd'Aumont from the 8thDuke of Aumont who preferred this manner of travel.[3]: 121 [2]: 62
Postilions ride the left or nearside[note 1] mount because horses are mounted from the left.[4][5]: 279 With a double team there could be two postilions, one for each pair,[5]: 282–283, 107 or, especially in France, one postilion would ride on the left wheel (rear) horse in order to control all four horses.[6]: 314
The postilion wears a full-dresslivery with a short jacket reaching to the waist only and decorated with gold lace and gilt buttons. A white shirt andstock tie, white leather breeches, white gloves, decorated cap, boots with brown tops, and an iron leg-guard on the [right] leg to protect it from the battering of the carriage pole.
— Thomas Ryder inFashion on Wheels[7]
This style of travel was known as "posting".[5]: 278 The postilions and their horses (known as "post-horses")[5]: 282 would be hired from a "postmaster" at a"post house".[5]: 282 The carriage would travel from one post house to the next (a journey known as a "stage"), where the postilions and/or spent (exhausted) horses could be replaced if necessary.[5]: 282 In practice unless a return hire was anticipated a postilion of a spent team frequently was also responsible for returning them to the originating post house.
Posting was once common both in England and in continental Europe.[5]: 279–280 In addition to a carriage's obvious advantages (a degree of safety and shelter for the inside passengers and accessibility to non-riders) on long trips it tended to be the most rapid form of passenger travel. Individually mounted riders are subject to their personal endurance limits, while posting could continue indefinitely with brief stops for fresh horses and crew. In England, posting declined oncerailways became an alternative method of transport,[5]: 282 but it remained popular inFrance and other countries.
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The gun detachments of theKing's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery are each driven by a team of three post riders. The King's Troop is a ceremonial unit equipped with World War I veteran13-pounder field guns drawn by six horses in much the same configuration as the guns of the 19th and early 20th century would have been. Officers and senior non-commissioned officers ride separately.
TheUnited States Army's Old Guard Caisson Platoon also rides postilion. The section sergeant, on a separate horse, is in charge of the team and there are six other horses teamed together. This configuration is used atArlington National Cemetery.[8]
To adapt to the rigours of horses traveling long distances at atrot, postillion riders adapted a method of rising and falling with the rhythm of the horse'sgait and given the name "posting" or "posting to the trot."
