(I fear we are diverting this thread widely from the original topic ..... but, what the heck, that's how discussions tend to go ....
)
I write from Medicine Hat, Alberta, the home of the South Alberta Light Horse mentioned by Sir Charles .... which perpetuates one of Canada's earliest such units, an irregular provisional "cowboy mounted infantry" raised for Canada's 1885 North West Rebellion - namely, the
original Rocky Mountain Rangers (no connection with the present-day militia infantry unit of the same name) after which our local CAS shooting club is proudly named.
Recognizing that the day of such highly mobile units had arrived, immediately following the short-lived Rebellion Canada established a "School of Mounted Infantry" component of its very small "full-time" Permanent Militia force, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. One of my favourite "period photographs" is this delightful (albeit just a wee bit silly) studio shot of an officer, sergeant, trooper and bugler of that newly-formed unit, kitted out in winter gear -