# Medieval horses/tack/gaming... TONS of pictures



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

OH MY GOODNESS!! SOOOO COOL SOLON!!!

I am so happy you decided to share your passion, I had no clue!!! That is so neat!!!!

I find it fascinating to learn about the horses! Do you have pictures at all of what each indavidual "breed" looked like?


> I get a lot of crap for riding a draft horse in the medieval society because some people are what we call "period nazi's" and believe you must recreate to the exact specifications


Ah - I can totally understand where you are coming from here. Hubby and I have 2 dear friends who are married and are very, very involved with Civil War Reinacting - they talk all the time about the "nazi's" at their gatherings towards people who don't follow "historical specifications"

Beverly - the wife - she makes time period dresses for woman and goes to many conferences about the time period clothing so that she can remain up to date on how the dresses must be made to follow the historical specifications.

I think - that people should just be happy that others are involved in sharing the love and passion for the certain historical time periods. Who cares if you are on a Draft - at least you are there loving and sharing this passion.

So - does the "king" ride around on a Palfrie? 



> There are tournmanets and wars. Tournaments are individual fighting. Each part of the world is divided up into Kingdoms and those Kingdoms are divided up into Principalities, Baronies and Shires. There is a King and Queen of each Kingdom and a Crown Tournament is held 2-3 times a year to fight for the Crown. The winner of the Crown Tournment becomes King/Queen and rules for a 3-6 month period.


That sounds like SO MUCH FUN!!!! HA - reminds me of the movie I just watched "Roll Models" Did you see that?


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

MIEventer! It reminds me of Role Models, too!

Solon - that is awesome. And I like that you ride a draft, because he's a beaut.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Some of the Knights do ride in the medieval games. Most of them ride what would be considered palfries - some do ride draft horses though. I do have some pictures of what the horses looked like on some ancient tombstones and tapestries. 

Here is one I really like from an early period tombstone. Reminds me of Solon. I'll find some of the others and post them later. I haven't seen Role Models so I'll have to check it out!










Another early period horse:











These are some of the Middle Ages Destriers. Notice the dapple grey?











I'll find some of my others and post them. Super cool. Especially the ones they are finding on ancient Greek/Roman tombs that were dedicated to both the soldier and the horse.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

This website was made by a lady in our Barony. It will show you all the different barding used as well as the groups that didn't use them. Very informative and lots of great pictures:

History of Horse Bards and Tack


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Love Dapply Greys.

They look araby - or TBish to me??


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Arabians were a big blood line back then. The Caspian horse was a pretty big breed way back then as well.

ETA: I believe TB's are relatively new historically. Somewhere around the late 1600's early 1700's in England? I think I remembered that correctly.

The other breeds such as Friesians were big during the Middle Ages. The Iberian horse and other Spanish blood horses were also important in the Middle Ages.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

OOOH! SEE! I find this so fascinating!!!!

What was the Freisan used for? Being a draft - probobly a commoner's horse?


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Friesians were used as chargers and the nobility had access to them.

I remember the first Friesian I ever saw was Goliath from Ladyhawke. One of my most fave movies!


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

Very nice Solon. Looks like you have a lot of fun with it. 

I have friends that do the renaissance festivals all the time. They dress up in period costumes, but only for show. They don't do any of the role playing or games associated with it.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Ohhh never say role playing to an SCA person! LOL!! Or compare them with Ren Folk. Very different groups. RenFaires also have fantasy stuff like elves, fairies etc. That stuff is never allowed at SCA events. 

It is a lot of fun especially camping out. In the evening you can go to any campfire and there will be bards telling stories or dancing or eating or a lot of drinking.

They keep the 'period' camping separate from the mundane camping so that you can walk about the pavilions and yurts and get a feeling of really being back there. Of course there are modern things around the events but they try to keep it as period as possible and still be fun.

They even have what is called 'Gold Key' for visitors so they can dress up in tunics/medieval clothes and wander about the event. Otherwise it's very frowned on for the public to just come walking in regular clothes. That's another thing that makes it different from a RenFaire.

I haven't done much the last couple of years but am looking forward to getting back into it this fall.

The fall season is the feasting season. But I tell you eating authentic medieval food can give you a bad case of the poopies!


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

Oops, I guess I did a faux pas!!!

Okay, if it counts, I had a boarder that rode in Civil War re-enactments, all authentic uniforms and garb. His horse was fantastic, he could stand right beside the canons when they fired them. 

It's amazing, the stuff we can do with our horses


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

We have Civil War reenactors in this area and you are right, those horses are just amazing with the canons!

I agree, it's amazing the stuff the horses are willing to deal with on account of *our *passions!


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

I thought palfreys were supposed to have been gaited?


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

They were extremely smooth riding horses from what all the writings on them say. It's very likely some of them or even a lot of them were. They would have been a lot better bred than the rouncies.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

This is _WICKED AWESOME!! _A friend and I were thinking of doing a medieval costume class entry for one of our smaller shows, we saw a mock jousting show recently and got all inspired . I wish we could go as detailed and historically accurate as your SCA! Your horse is gorgeous! I'm a bit of a fantasy lit nut, and even in the hyper fantasy stuff, I can't help but smile when the author took the time to research the types of horses that were used in the Middle Ages. I love Ladyhawke, too.


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## MirrorStage2009 (Sep 10, 2008)

Solon said:


> Friesians were used as chargers and the nobility had access to them.
> 
> I remember the first Friesian I ever saw was Goliath from Ladyhawke. One of my most fave movies!


Yup, Friesians were most likely in battle w/the troops documented in Britannia as early as the Christian era. Through the Eighty Year's War and Crusades is most likely when Friesians picked up most of their Andalucian and Arabian blood, which is what originally lightened them from their _equus robustus_, drafter build.

Ditto on "Ladyhawke"! I think that was everyone's first Friesian experience!  Goliath's real name was "Othello". He was a circus performer. By the way. 

I love your pictures! I've always been interested in the SCA.  Although I make the same _faux pas_ as *7ponies* and say the orginization seems more role playing (please don't murder me!:lol to me. And I only say that because they don't seem involved in educating others (non-members), thus it's "their own world". I would just like to see more of that. But maybe I'm wrong! Does your Kingdom do any outside educational clinics or demonstrations?


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Many of the Baronies within the Kingdoms do demos at schools and such but not so much for the 'public'. It's a historical group so the idea is to find your local group, then attend 'Council' meetings and get to know the people and what they do.

You can find out if your local group has equestrian events (some areas don't, but that doesn't mean you couldn't start one!). 

Once you show an interest in participating you will have people at your beck and call working to get your persona (who you are going to be) developed and how to get involved with the group.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Solon said:


> The Destrier was a highly trained warhorse. They were as much a warrior as the Knight himself. The drafts of today were really the pulling horses even back in the Dark/Middle ages. I get a lot of crap for riding a draft horse in the medieval society because some people are what we call "period nazi's" and believe you must recreate to the exact specifications.
> 
> Palfries were the riding horses most of the nobles would have these horses. Coursers were the cavalry horses. Very fast, very agile. Rouncies were the all purpose stock horses. Pulled wagons, peasants rode them, they are what we call grade horses today.


 
I have also heard of Hackneys in the context of being a Medieval breed/type. Is this correct, or a modernization like drafts being the equivalent of Destriers? If there were Hackneys, were they similar to the high stepping hackney horses and ponies of today? What was their "job" in the Medieval stable?
Thanks!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

There were definitely used as riding horses but our modern ones I believe are quite different. I seem to remember a change in the characteristic with recent history but I'd have to look that up.

I believe their origin is 12th or 13th century.


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## MirrorStage2009 (Sep 10, 2008)

Solon said:


> Many of the Baronies within the Kingdoms do demos at schools and such but not so much for the 'public'. It's a historical group so the idea is to find your local group, then attend 'Council' meetings and get to know the people and what they do.
> 
> You can find out if your local group has equestrian events (some areas don't, but that doesn't mean you couldn't start one!).
> 
> Once you show an interest in participating you will have people at your beck and call working to get your persona (who you are going to be) developed and how to get involved with the group.


Cool! Thanks for answering me! 

I have a close friend who was involved with the PA SCA for years! She was actually apprenticing to be a Knight until her health problems (which always looks funny 'cuz she's a wee little lady!:lol. Then she switched to Seamstress. Anyways, she was going to let me tag along, but then she stop going for personal reasons. Now she lives in Georgia. 

I tried talking w/someone involved in the local equestrian SCA. They weren't friendly or really willing to talk w/me. :? 

My other qualm is I think the SCA given timeline for personas isn't as early as I would like for a persona. I think.


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## Chuckface (Apr 25, 2009)

looks liek a lot of fun! ps, Solon is just beautiful!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Thanks Chuck!

As far as personas they can be as early as you want them to be. We have several Scythians and earlier.

Until a person proves that they are really interested in the SCA, they aren't going to invest much time in them. I know that seems backwards. The same happened to me when I wanted to start swordfighting. And it's because they will invest a lot of time and energy into a person who says they are interested and then the person just up and flakes out. So, they'd rather have people come and observe and help out at practices (equestrian and swordfighting) and really show genuine interest and dedication.

Then, they'll literally put themselves out just to make sure you get everything you need to live 'The Dream'. They take it very seriously. They are very passionate about it.


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