Postillion

[red squirrel ridge]

What is the reason for a carriage to be driven postillion ? I have read the post about cock horses but I have seen photos of carriages pulled by four horses with a rider on the left hand horse of each team and no driver. Why ?

[Thomas_1]

It depends: Sometimes a coach may only be driven by postillion. So no actually driver at all:

Saves the "pleb" driver sitting with the rich folks and hearing their conversation ;)

My daughter and her new husband were driven away from their wedding postillion with a pair.

Sometimes the postillions aid the driver:

Ordinarily postillion is when there's a large team and each postillion drives a pair of horses. The one he's sitting on and the off side horse that's adjacent to it.

In France it was sometimes customary for one postillion to drive 4 horses. A la Daumont.

[red squirrel ridge]

Thank you for the explanation !