The Grenadiers a Cheval were the mounted grenadiers of the Grande Armee of the First French Empire under Emperor Napoleon I. The grenadiers were chosen for their large physical qualities, and they consisted of soldiers who had been cited for bravery, who were strapping, and who had seen action several times before. They wore bearskins and rode black horses, and they were nicknamed "the Giants" or "the Gods" by their comrades.