AdmirerUS
Majesty
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- May 31, 2012
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I also noticed bear skins under William and Charles' saddles. I think if was bear skin and under the saddle - but someone here probably knows better than I.The caps (as they're known in the Guards regiments) are handed down through the generations, as it were, although new ones do still have to be bought each year. I know the MoD have had trials for synthetic materials in response to controversy from animal rights activists, but I believe that no man-made material has been found that's anywhere near as durable for outdoor wear as the real deal. I think I remember hearing that during the trials the caps' synthetic furs discoloured and expanded, making them look really odd.
The origins of the tall caps are simply that they made soldiers look much bigger and therefore more frightening on the battlefield.