It traces its complicated lineage to the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and claims its direct ancestry to the 15th Light Horse, along with various other Alberta based cavalry units.

The RMR saw no action during their three months of existence during the rebellion, and the SALH carries the battle honour "North West Canada, 1885" on their colours.

The 3rd Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, was mobilized at Medicine Hat and landed in France in September 1915 as part of the 1st CMR Brigade.

The battery landed in France on 19 January 1916, where it served as part of the 6th Brigade, 2nd Canadian Divisional Artillery until the end of the war.

[6] This means that among the predecessor units of the SALH, one participated in the first military operation involving the tank and another mounted the last cavalry charge in Canadian history.

The South Alberta Regiment, recruited an active service battalion in the Medicine Hat area in the summer of 1940.

The unit was selected by Major-General F. F. Worthington to be the reconnaissance regiment of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division because he wanted "keen-eyed prairie men" as his scouts.

This regiment was renamed back to 19th Alberta Dragoons in 1958, but in the 1965 reorganization of the Reserves it was transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle: it still legally existed, but had no personnel assigned to it.

[1] In 1978 the SALH established an independent B Squadron in Edmonton to train out of Griesbach Barracks, and was originally organized as a reconnaissance unit.

[citation needed] In 2005, the AVGP Cougar was retired from service,[7] and the SALH reroled back to Armoured Reconnaissance, equipped with the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon - Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW).

As this group grew, it became possible to detach 3 Troop to its own lines co-located with the 20th Independent Field Battery, RCA, at the Vimy Ridge Armoury in Lethbridge.

[citation needed][neutrality is disputed] The regiment is presently training with the new Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle, which was delivered to 3rd Canadian Division units in the Spring to Summer of 2017.

With the advent of the Land Force Reserve Restructuring project, The South Alberta Light Horse was organized as an armoured reconnaissance regiment on September 1, 2004.

Cadet units affiliated to the South Alberta Light Horse receive support and also are entitled to wear traditional regimental accoutrements on their uniforms.