Russian cavalry for WW1

I have found myself increasingly interested in the role of cavalry in World War 1.  It's not an arm that we readily associate with the western front beyond 1914, although I think it played more of a part in the more fluid battles of 1918. However it does seem to have played a bigger role on the eastern front, and in the middle east. In the middle east there are useful accounts of actions in which cavalry were often used as mobile infantry able to cover longer distances.  Terry Kinloch's book is a fascinating read.

I'm currently on the lookout for reliable sources on the western and eastern fronts in order to read further. 

In the meantime I have been painting up some 20mm figures for the period, and the theatres, anticipating some battles to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my WW1 rules of preference: Great War Spearhead. The cavalry figures are from the Strelets range, bought probably 20 years ago, and left to languish in the infamous wargamers' 'lead/plastic pile'. We may fight some eastern front actions, but equally some actions from the Russian Civil War, or the Russo-Polish War.

These are the latest additions, some Strelets 'Terek Cossacks', and 'Don Cossacks'. My basing preference is one mounted and one foot figure per base. It's my way of matching these figures to my mental paradigm about how cavalry were used in the period. It's my 'affectation', if you like.

The assembled Russian cavalry so far.

These figures in front were 'conversions' that I did probably 45 years ago, using Airfix ACW figures, and swapping the heads for those from some Airfix WW1 British Infantry... the things we did, eh?

Next some Strelets German cavalry ... yeehaaaa...