Master of the Horse Koniuszy be merged into this article or section. ( Discuss ) The Master of the Horse was ( and in some cases , is ) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations . The Roman Master of the Horse ( Magister Equitum ) Topics in Roman government Roman Kingdom Roman Republic Roman Empire Principate Dominate Western Empire Eastern Empire Ordinary magistrates : Consul Praetor Quaestor Promagistrate Aedile Tribune Censor Governor Extraordinary magistrates : Magister Equitum Consular tribune Dictator Triumviri Decemviri Offices , titles , and honorifics : Pontifex Maximus Legatus Dux Officium Praefectus Vicarius Vigintisexviri Lictor Magister Militum Imperator Princeps senatus Emperor Augustus Caesar Tetrarch Politics and law : Roman Senate Cursus honorum Roman assemblies Collegiality Roman law Roman citizenship Auctoritas Imperium edit The original Master of the Horse ( Magister Equitum ) in the Roman Republic was an office appointed and dismissed by the Roman Dictator , and ceasing to exist once the Dictator left office . The Magister Equitum served as the Dictator 's main lieutenant . The nomination of the Magister Equitum was left to the choice of the Dictator , unless a senatus consultum specified , as was sometimes the case , the name of the person who was to be appointed . The Dictator could not be without a Magister Equitum to assist him , and , consequently , if the first Magister Equitum either died or was dismissed during the six months of the dictatorship , another had to be nominated in his stead . The Magister Equitum was granted Praetorian imperium , thus was subject to the imperium of the Dictator , but in the Dictator’s absence , he became his representative , and exercised the same powers as the Dictator . The imperium of the Magister Equitum was not regarded as superior to that of a Consul , but rather a par with a Praetor . It was usually considered necessary that the person who was to be nominated Magister Equitum should previously have been Praetor , but this was not regularly followed . Accordingly , the Magister Equitum had the insignia of a praetor : the toga praetexta and an escort of six lictors . The most famous Master of the Horse was proba bly Mark Antony , who served during Julius Caesar 's first dictatorship . The title Constable , from the Latin comes stabularis or count of the stables , has a similar history . Master of the Cavalry The Magister Equitum was originally , as his name implies , the commander of the cavalry , while the Dictator was at the head of the legions : the infantry . The name came from the original duties from the earliest days of the Republic ( caring for the Dictator 's stables ) , as well as the fact that the Dictator 's official title was Magister Populi ² ( Master of the People ) . Note that when Magister Equitum is rendered by its traditional translation Master of the Horse , the word `` horse '' is being used in an old-fashioned way to mean `` cavalry. '' ( Equitum is the genitive plural of eques , `` horseman '' . ) The parallel term magister peditum may likewise be translated by the archaic `` master of foot '' or the more modern `` master of infantry . `` The United Kingdom Master of the Horse ( Equerry ) The Master of the Horse in the United Kingdom is an important official of the sovereign 's household . The master of the horse is the third dignitary of the court , and was always a member of the ministry ( before 1782 the office was of cabinet rank ) , a peer and a privy councillor . All matters connected with the horses and formerly also the hounds of the sovereign , as well as the stables and coachhouses , the stud , mews and previously the kennels , are within his jurisdiction . The practical management of the royal stables and stud devolves on the chief or crown equerry , formerly called the Gentleman of the Horse , whose appointment was always permanent . The Clerk Marshal had the supervision of the accounts of the department before they are submitted to the Board of Green Cloth , and was in waiting on the Sovereign on state occasions only . Exclusive of the Crown Equerry there were seven regular equerries , besides extra and honorary equerries , one of whom was always in attendance on the Sovereign and rode at the side of the royal carriage . They were always officers of the army , and each of them was on duty for about the same time as the lords and grooms in waiting . There are still several pages of honour who are nominally in the master of the horse 's department , who must not be confounded with the pages of various kinds who are in the department of the Lord Chamberlain . They are youths aged from twelve to sixteen , selected by the sovereign in person , to attend on him at state ceremonies . At the Coronation they assisted the groom of the stole in carrying the royal train . The current Master of the Horse is Samuel Vestey , 3rd Baron Vestey . See also : List of Masters of the Horse Today the Master of the Horse has a primarily ceremonial office , and rarely appears except on state occasions , and especially when the Sovereign is mounted . The Crown Equerry has daily oversight of the Royal Mews , which provides vehicular transport for the Sovereign , both cars and horse-drawn carriages . Train travel is arranged by the Royal Travel Office , which also co-ordinates air transport . The Pages of Honour , who appear only on ceremonial occasions , and the Equerries , were nominally under the authority of the Master of the Horse . The former are now controlled by the Keeper of the Privy Purse . The latter are effectively independent , and are functionally closer to the Private Secretary 's Office . There are now three equerries to the Sovereign , and a larger number of extra equerries - usually retired officers with some connection to the Royal Household . The extra equerries are rarely if ever required for duty , but the Equerries are in attendance on the Sovereign on a daily basis . For some years the senior Equerry has also held the position of Deputy Master of the Household . The permanent equerry is an officer of major rank or equivalent , recruited from the three armed services in turn . Many previous equerries have gone on to reach high rank . The temporary equerry is a Captain of the Coldstream Guards , who provides part-time attendance . When not required for duty he has additional regimental or staff duties . Senior members of the Royal Family also have one or two equerries . The French Master of the Horse Main article : Grand Squire of France In France the master of the horse ( Grand Écuyer , or more usually Monsieur le grand ) was one of the seven Great Officers of the Crown of France from 1595 . As well as the superintendence of the royal stables , he had that of the retinue of the sovereign , also the charge of the funds set aside for the religious functions of the court , coronations , etc . On the death of a sovereign he had the right to all the horses and their equipment in the royal stables . Distinct from this officer and independent of him , was the first equerry ( Premier Ecuyer ) , who had charge of the horses which the sovereign used personally ( La petite curie ) , and who attended on him when he rode out . The office of master of the horse existed down to the reign of Louis XVI . Under Louis XVIII and Charles X the duties were discharged by the first equerry , but under Napoleon I and Napoleon III the office was revived with much of its old importance . The German Master of the Horse In Germany the master of the horse ( Oberststallmeister ) was a high court dignitary ; but his office was merely titular , the superintendence of the Emperor 's stables having been carried out by the Oberstallmeister , an official corresponding to the crown equerry in England . Papal Master of the Horse The Master of the Horse , Cavallerizzo Maggiore , or Hereditary Superintendent of the Stables of the Palaces , was an hereditary position held by the Marquess Serlupi Crescenzi . The office was a Participating Privy Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape , in the Pontifical Household . It was abolished in the reforms of the Papal Curia of 1968 . See also Constable Konyushy ( Russian Equerry ) Koniuszy ( Equerry in Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania ) Cursus honorum List of British ministries References This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition , a publication now in the public domain . Categories : Articles to be merged since September 2006 | Roman law | Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica | Ancient Roman titles | Roman Republic | Military ranks | Positions within the British Royal Household | Equestrianism In other languages : Български | Deutsch | Français | Italiano | עברית | Magyar | Nederlands | Norsk ( bokmål ) | Polski | Suomi | 中文 Koniuszy September 2006 Grand Squire of France 