Continuing the discussion from Horseback riding style:
I’d love to see a more accurate depiction of the different types of horses, rather than tossing in modern breeds and calling it a day. You didn’t have Arabians, or Andalusians, or Clydesdales, or whatever. Horses were defined by their purpose:
Destrier: The big, highly-prized warhorses.
Courser: Also highly-prized as military mounts, coursers weren’t as heavy as the destrier, but faster with great endurance.
Rouncey: A third type of horse preferred for warfare, rounceys were a multi-purpose horse used both in-combat by poorer knights, squires, and men-at-arms, and also frequently as packhorses
Palfrey: A riding horse noted for its ambling gait, providing a much smoother ride. Palfreys were the most prized and expensive riding horses, and some could even rival destriers in price. They were used for hunting and travel.
Hobby: A light, swift horse used for racing and skirmishing.
Jennet: Another riding horse with an ambling gate, of Spanish origin.
Hack: Riding Horse
Packhorse: What it says on the tin: A horse for carrying baggage.
You didn’t have Arabians, or Andalusians, or Clydesdales, or whatever.
Wrong. You did. Spain bred horses since 1500 b.C., so did north africa (marokko), where the berber comes from.
To the saddles and riding styles, I’m gonna quote some text written by King Dom Eduarte of Portugal (b.1391 - d. 1438). He wrote the first book about riding in the middle ages. Xenophon already wrote something in the antique, but Dom Duarte didn’t know of this book. The name of the book (english translation) is "The Art of Riding on every Saddle - Dom Duarte King of Portugal, circa 1434 - Medieval Horsemanship: Equitation, Hunting and Knigthly Combat with Lance and Sword).
"Chapter II-About “Bravante” saddles
In order to be crystal clear on the subject, it is necessary to know that there are five different styles of riding correctly and that all the others are derived from these five.
First- There are the saddles which require the legs to stay extended, a little bit forward with the feet firm on the stirrups; all these things to be done in such a way that a good balance is obtained not paying more attention to the steadiness of the feet on the stirrups, than to the pressing of the legs on the beast or to the way you are seated on the saddle; equal attention should be given to each on of the three to enable you to get the benefits you can take out of each one of them. The saddles used in our land that require this style of riding are currently known as “Bravante”, as well as others of similar types (as far as the riding styles is concerned). In all of them, the style which keeps you strongly mounted is the following: to lengthen the stirrup straps up to the point that enables you to stay firm on them with your legs extended. This means that it is necessary to feel your feet steady on the stirrups without loosening you legs. But, as I wrote before, you should pay equalt attention to the steadiness of your feet on the stirrups, to the pressing of your legs on the beast and to the way you are seated on the saddle."
This is the first one, “Bravante” saddles are those found in the HRE and France, mostly.
I 'll write more later (or tomorrow), in the meantime read these articles:
Part One
Part Two
"Chapter III - About those who do not pay great attention to the stirrups
Second - This style is based on staying seated on the saddle, with
your legs extended or a bit flexed, not paying great attention to the
stirrups leather strap length, in such a way that your feet are not firm
on the stirrups. This style is used, as far as I was told, in England
and in several Italian countries, where the saddles used are of
different types. And the strength of this style of riding is based
mainly in keeping the body erect on the saddle and pressing the legs -
extended and maintaining a straight line with the body - against the
beast, not paying great attention to the stirrups.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, even considering the different types of
the saddles they use and their their specific needs, the help which one
can get from the stirrups should not be completely forgotten; but I
understand why horsemen using this style of riding pay more attention to
the pressing of their legs against the beast and to the upright position of their bodies - because that is how they know to ride and to react correctly to the beast’s behavior - rather than to the help they could get from their feet on the stirrups."
"Chapter IV - About those who ride firm and erect on the stirrups
Third - This style is based on riding firm on the stirrups with the legs extended and not being seated on the saddle, but having the body balance helped by the saddle-bows: the pommel and the cantle.
Those who use this riding style have learned it in the old times. And in tournaments and in jousts and in other similar situations, the correct style of riding is the following: to equip the horse in such a way that the stirrups stay fixed to the horse’s body using an additional system of interlaced ropes (tying the stirrups together underneath the horse’s belly) or by any other appropriate system. They - the stirrups - should be in such a position that the horseman’s legs stay extended straight down and not even slightly forward. And the feet are to stay very firm on the stirrups and you are to never be seated on the saddle, as that would result in loss of elegance, loss of agility and loss of body quietness and would make you less strong. And no one should think that he could become stronger in jousts if he decides to keep even one of his legs a bit flexed because it would certainly produce the contrary; with the stirrups well fixed to the horse’s body you should keep your legs extended straight down because that 's the best way of avoiding defeats and falls from the horse ant it will also give your riding additional elegance and handsomeness."
Knights rode with their legs straight and pushed well forward because their weight was held well back. Because of the high pommel of the medieval war saddle, and the necessity of holding shield and reins in the same hand, their rein hand was held up high. This meant that they had to make use of powerful curb bits and neck-reining to control their horses.
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