Chevau-légers on patrol

 

Chevau-légers from an elite company (as shown by their red epaulettes) patrolling the countryside.

Napoleon would create his chevau-légers regiments in 1811 by converting some of his dragoon regiments. The chevau-légers wore a helmet similar to the dragoons' but topped by a woolen crest (called chenille) instead of a mane.

Some horsemen would carry a long lance (in which case they were chevau-légers lanciers) while others were equipped with carbines instead (they were then chevau-légers carabiniers). It's possible that at some point some men would've carried both weapons simultaneously. 

As seen in the image above, brigadiers (or their horse) were supposed to carry an axe.