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Horsemanship and riding

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Sir Griff:
So, since this site is about knights and forms of modern chivalry, I was surprised not to see a thread about horses and riding. Granted, you may have armour and weapons, and the knowledge to safely use them without being an unintentional threat to yourself and those around you, but can you ride?

This thread is about the horse, and its relation to our modern-day knights (I don't mean those arm-chair knights with a "Sir" before their name that dot the country-clubs of Great Britain). Discussion of jousting, tent-pegging and other martial activities you can practice from atop a horse is also open to discussion.

I myself am beginning to learn how to ride (been to 4 sessions thus far) and it's quite interesting. So far, I've "officially" been practising the walk and the trot but I've also experienced the gallop twice during the last sessions when the horse unfortunately broke off into a gallop with me on its back. Myself, barely a beginner, managed to stay on the first time the horse charged at full speed, holding on to the saddle for dear life and releasing the reins. With the reins released, though, I also disabled my only option of stopping the horse.

The second time the horse broke off into a gallop, I held on to the reins (surprisingly, I defeated my fear of simply letting go and actually held on) and managed to stop the horse after a short while. And remember, each time the horse broke off into a gallop, I was supposed to be speeding her up for a proper trot! Of course, the fact that the instructor had whirled the whip through the air a bit when I was trying to speed up had some effect.

However, all's well when it ends well and I managed to ride through my first two gallops without falling off. The instructor also complimented me and told me that I probably wouldn't have handled my first gallop so well if she had told me about it before-hand.

So, what are your experiences with horses?

Sir Edward:

That's a good idea, you're right, we haven't discusses horsemanship here as yet.

Obviously there are many areas of martial arts and knightly activities, and riding is one of them. For many, it's probably not practical to pursue due to location (living in an urban area), cost, etc.

Personally, I really like it, but haven't done much in a long, long time. I took riding lessons when I was a teen-ager, and used to "rent" a horse for an hour here and there at a horse farm near where I was growing up. I'd just go riding in the woods and fields that they owned.

My favorite horse there was named "Nosey" because of the way she'd bob her nose at people she recognized. She was a spirited runner. It took effort to keep her at a slow walk... and I loved it. One day I decided to see just how fast she'd go, and I took her to a full gallop from the bottom of the hill... she ran up the hill so fast, I couldn't keep my glasses straight on my face, until suddenly all was smooth, and we were sailing through the air over a fallen tree. I was pretty fearless back then... lol!

More recently, my girlfriend and I have taken a few guided horseback rides, which isn't the same thing of course since the horses have the trip memorized and you don't even have to do anything. However I found that it's been so long that I've forgotten the basic feel of how hard to tug the reins, etc.

If I were rich, I'd buy some land and keep a couple of horses, and teach myself some martial activities from horseback. But right now it's not practical.

Sir Wolf:
http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Equipment-c-1150-1450-Excavations-London/dp/1843830973/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1C8JHXWQDM0M&colid=36U9T1LGBMZL9

The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, c.1150-1450 (Medieval Finds from Excavations in London) (Hardcover)
by John Clark (Editor)

--- Quote --- Editorial Reviews
Review
A fascinating book. This is a basic work of reference for archaeologists and those studying medieval artefacts. TREASURE HUNTING,Provides a thorough insight into the horse, its work and the people who depended on it in the city of London. THE RICARDIANThis volume provides many paths into the intricate history of the medieval world. Such a book, focused on the object, reminds us of the evocative power of certain otherwise-humble finds. (...) A worthy reference book, one which in its presentation of both commonplace and unusual objects increases our knowledge of the physical reality in which the medieval individual lived. THE MEDIEVAL REVIEWA very highly recommended book that should be a required reading for living history or equestrian followers everywhere. WWW.RANDLESREVIEWS.CO.UK

Product Description
Whether knight's charger or beast of burden, horses played a vital role in medieval life. The wealth of medieval finds excavated in London in recent years has, not surprisingly, included many objects associated with horses. This catalogue illustrates and discusses over four hundred such objects, among them harness, horseshoes, spurs and curry combs, from the utilitarian to highly decorative pieces. London served by horse traffic comes vividly in view. The introductory chapter draws on historical as well as archaeological sources to consider the role of the horse in medieval London. It looks at the price of horses and the costs of maintaining them, the hiring of 'hackneys' for riding, the use of carts in and around London, and the work of the 'marshal' or farrier. It discusses the evidence for the size of medieval horses and includes a survey of finds of medieval horse skeletons from London. It answers the key questions, how large a 'Great Horse' was, and why it took three horses to pull a cart. A new introduction to this edition provides an update on research and a supplementary bibliography. This is a basic work of reference for archaeologists and those studying medieval artefacts, and absorbing reading for everyone interested in the history of the horse and its use by humankind. JOHN CLARK is Curator (Medieval) at the Museum of London.
Product Details

    * Hardcover: 202 pages
    * Publisher: Boydell Press; New Ed edition (June 2004)
    * Language: English
    * ISBN-10: 1843830973
    * ISBN-13: 978-1843830979
    * Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
    * Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
    * Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
    * Amazon.com Sales Rank: #785,622 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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--- End quote ---

Das Bill:
I agree that horses are quite overlooked by people who are interested in these types of things. For myself, there's just no way I could justify the expense of a horse, not to mention the lessons and accoutrement that go along with it!

On the other hand, I do study the historical german arts of mounted combat (known as rossfechten). I don't put them into practice the way I do with the unmounted techniques (because I obviously can't fully do so without a horse), but by studying them they do give me a better understanding of the use of the sword in one hand, as well as a more rounded understanding of the Liechtenauer fighting arts. But for the time being, and for the foreseeable future, my rossfechten studies will remain more theoritical.

Sir Griff:
Well, I live in an urban environment (in my country's capital) but still have access to riding lessons. If only WMA were at hand like riding.

Still, I've been practising jousting whenever I went to my cabin in the mountains, but I've been practising it from atop an ATV and not a horse. It's really an exhilarating experience, especially when you manage to hit something while holding your lance (in my case a long tree branch) in the tilting position (holding it diagonally over your mount, not straight forward).

In my case, I set up an obstacle course of sorts, with logs piled upon each other set at varying intervals along the course. Thus, I can practice both lancing a target with my branch held straight and hitting a log in a tilt-like manner. Tilt hits are hard to achieve, however, since the branch usually hits the log with its side, and not with the point. In a joust, I would figure that such a hit would barely affect your opponent.

When I eventually reach a pleasing skill level with ATV jousting, and a level of skill in riding that assures safety for both me and the horse, I will rent a horse from a nearby hotel and ride it on my obstacle course.

Acquiring some form of armour afterwards would also be great, since I can't think of anything cooler than riding in armour and lancing some logs.

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