Richard Gifford was first commissioned in the 4th Troop of Horse Guards (a regiment of Household Cavalry) in 1710. He served in the regiment until at least 1727.

Gifford’s connections with the Household Cavalry are reinforced in the painting by the kettle drummer and trumpeters in the background who wear Household Cavalry state dress. He chose to be painted wearing a plain crimson velvet coat, rather than a uniform. Officers of the King’s own troops were most likely to wear clothes in the height of courtly fashion. Gifford’s deep cuffs, reaching almost to the elbow, suggest a date of the mid-1720s. From the evidence of paintings such as this, it would seem that civilian or non-uniform clothing was worn by officers until about 1730, when military distinctions such as shoulder knots and other gold embroidery began to be introduced.