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- grenadiers on horseback in Eylau
The horse grenadiers enjoyed, along with the foot grenadiers, their prestige as former Marengo soldiers. Admission requirements were just as stringent as for foot grenadiers. Passing from the former Consular Guard to the Imperial Guard (July 29, 1804), the regiment was made up of a staff and four squadrons of two companies each, i.e. 1,018 cavalry. An imperial decree of April 15, 1806 added to it a squadron of velites equipped with a height of at least 1.76 m and a guaranteed annual income of 300 francs.
Trained separately in times of peace, the velites were mixed with the grenadiers only for marches or war; in this last case, the unit split into two regiments, each commanded by a major under the orders of the colonel.
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- guard horse grenadiers
On their traditional black horses, they distinguished themselves in all the battles up to Waterloo. The mounted grenadiers wore the same uniform as the foot grenadiers. However, they had aurora shoulder loops, and on the shoulders, on the left a counter epaulette, on the right an aurora aiguillette. After 1807, there were two counter-epaulettes and an aiguillette. The teddy bear hat had no plate. Riding boots, with soft uppers for road holding, were strong uppers for full dress from 1802.
In the field, gray cloth breeches reinforced with skin between the thighs replaced buckskin or sheepskin breeches. For the officers, everything that was aurora in the rider became gold, both in the uniform and in the harness.