History of 14th or Kings Regiment of the Light Dragoons

The 14th Dragoons had been raised in 1715 and fought in both Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745. From 1747 they spent the next 48 years in Ireland, from which they became known as an Irish regiment. During this period the dragoons had introduced troops of light cavalry into some regiments and in 1759 four whole regiments were raised as light dragoons, the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th. The 14th was the second dragoon regiment to be converted, in 1776, from dragoons to light dragoons. The 12th had been converted in 1768. The men and horses were expected to be smaller, between 5ft 5.5ins and 5ft 9ins for the men, and 14.3 and 15.1 hands for the horses, of 'the nag or hunter kind'. The training was harder for light dragoons; they were taught to fight mounted and dismounted, fire from the saddle, skirmish, reconnoitre and generally use their initiative