During the battle of Minden Colonel Robert Sloper of Bland's Dragoon Guards was unfit to advance immediately on receiving the order to do so. The reason for the delay, if we are to believe the testimony of Lord Sackville's ADC, Captain John Smith, was that Sloper wanted to give his troopers time to throw away their picket poles. Smith rode over to Lord Sackville to report the incident and on returning found that the regiment had not yet been able to finish the task. [ THE COWARD OF MINDEN by P Macksey, 1979]

What is so peculiar (or valuable) about picket poles that you don't simply throw them onto the ground? What makes throwing them away so time consuming that a colonel would rather hesitate for minutes rather than obey his order without further ado? In addition, let me ask a more elementary question. What does a picket pole look like? Has it got a strengthened tip or any metal fittings? How did the trooper carry it when riding on horseback?