In 1747 King George II agreed to three of the four regiments of horse being converted to dragoons to reduce government expenditure on the British Army. Dragoons were paid less and rode smaller horses that were cheaper to purchase and feed. To mitigate the reduction in their status, King George granted the affected regiments the new title of 'dragoon guards', giving them seniority over the existing dragoons. The 4th Horse became the 3rd Dragoon Guards. The Carabiniers were retitled the 3rd Regiment of Irish Horse, before being renamed the 6th Dragoon Guards in 1788.
