Cavalry and horses of Northern Wei - China nomadic rulers

Salve,
Let us return to China and its nomadic heritage and equine past, to the time of the IV-VI centuries AD.
When in the western Eurasia and around the Mediterranean Sea classical Antiquity was slowly dying under assault of the Germanic barbarians and new religion, and where her direct heirs, Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and Sassanid Persia, were locked in series of never ending wars, in the eastern Eurasia Chinese Han, eg. a Han rider from Cernuschi_Museum , empire  Han_Dynasty collapsed amid fighting and corruption, and rivalry amongst the ruling clans. China rulers and conquerors  divided the Han empire into  Three_Kingdoms , while some parts went back to the nomadic peoples as they were restless and seeking their own empires, and soon, in the VI century AD,  almost the entire steppe was to be united under the Turkuts (ancient Turks) gumilevica.kulichki.net   beautifully reconstructed in this Russian article http://history.novosibdom.ru/node/31  or on this page ancient Turks articles ,  future arch-enemy of the Tang Dynasty and Sassanid Iran. 

 Three Kingdoms eventually collapsed and in the south of China we then have a leading Jin dynasty Jin_Dynasty 280-420 AD, but  their rule in the north was challenged by the nomads during the  IV century AD.  Because  in Han's wake the northeastern nomadic peoples of the Eastern steppes were bound to create their own smaller and bigger kingdoms, and  one group of proto-Turkic nomads seemed to distinguish itself -  Touba Xianbei xianbei . They absorbed  exhibit/nwei   former masters of the eastern steppe, multiethnic polity of the Xiongnu  xiongnu image002  (wonderful reconstructions  on this Siberian archaeology page history.novosibdom.ru/?q=node/45  ) that were chief enemies of Chin and Han dynasties empires until Han armies destroyed their might  xiongnu.atspace.com     xiongnu.atspace.com/art
article Xiongnu mutliethnicity archaeology
 xiongnu belt plate
 xiongnu silkroadfoundation.org
Toba/Touba Xianbei northern wei essay were most likely Mongolian/Turkic nomads, that came southward from the Manchurian steppe, and upon taking over the Inner Mongolia moved further south, and eventually in concert with Han Chinese elites created their own empire known as Northern Wei (386-534 AD), becoming sinicized towards the end of their rule over the Han populations.  Their steppe enemies were Turkic juan_juan  , some scholars believe they were know as Avars in western Eurasia.  Slav-Avar belt plaques/mounts 
 more images of steppe art, in this article associated with ancient nomadic Bulgarians bolgnames.com/text/Treasure.html
But Northern Wei was just one of the kingdoms or empires in China of that time Southern and Northern Dynasties, before the first reunification of Han China by the short lived Sui dynasty  Sui_Dynasty


In the history of the development of war horse harness this period of the II-VI century AD , within the eastern Eurasia milieu, had been the most  fertile ground  for revolutionary changes - it was the time of the development of solid  'treed' saddle (with pommel and cantle) from Saka/Sarmatian saddle development eg  

, curb-bit, stirrups, horse armor. Naturally some of these inventions were made within the Eastern Eurasia by the  various nomads and Han Chinese, and some came from the West, from the Sassanid Iran (Persia) etc.


Some visual sources showing artifacts of Northern Dynasties,  mostly ceramics and few paintings :

military man/officer in a nomadic costume  (Northern China) 
Xinabei belt buckle, with dragon images, this kind of belt buckle has been known to the nomads of the eastern Eurasia since II millennium BC 
warrior in armor http://history.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/images/exbig_images/d710523115ea14f25607036d17243364.jpg 
mounted musician http://history.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/images/exbig_images/2d0edc1388eb068996a61423fecca491.jpg
nomadic musicians  china. Wei musicians on horseback
riders, horses, and camels (Bactrian) of Northern Wei 
muscian with nomadic 'horse' drums
nomad on a Bactrian camel
 ...
archers from frescoes of the  Dunhua caves dunhua53
 heavy cavalry, Dunhua frescoes dunhua54
rider with a horn
heavy cavalry cataphract
heavy cavalry cataphract II
heavy cavalry cataphract III
 the above heavy riders are shown without spears and swords, and without spear holster, that only very few sculptures show (I will show them in a separate entry on this blog I hope)
more ceramics ceramics - fine steeds:
horse I
horse II
 
here we have fine example of Northern Wei horse armor and saddle
armored horse
 
Northern Wei tomb guardians silkroad/exhibit/nwei/nwei
Northern Wei  neighbors
beautiful painting of two riders from Northern Qi (550 - 577AD) dynasty 'Xianbei' tomb of one Liu Xian, part of a series of funerary painting showing horsemen riding and hunting  with dogs  riders northern Qi_Dynasty.jpg please note that they are using stirrups
 
In the western part of the 'Chinese' steppe, in today's Chinese Turkestan, lived Tocharians, Indo-European people of the eastern part of the Silk Road,   Tocharian Qizil Cave Donors Their towns and fortresses will become of part of the Tang Empire, and from there Tang China will clash with oncoming Arab conquerors of Central Asia, in the battle on river Talas.

Some literature on war, Iranian influences in China, 'Chinese' nomads, Chinese military during the end of I millennium BC and fist 500 years of I millennium AD time frame etc:
 Articles on Iranica about the ancient China-Iran relations.
Excellet book by prof. Nicola di Cosmo, Ancient China and its Enemies .
Many works of  porf. Albert Dien - like his very interesting article on the pre-Tang armor in China, while another one -  on Chinese, Korean and Japanese horse armor - is also a very interesting one, and here a link to his very interesting book on the life  and arts of   six dynasties
Chris Peers, and Michael Perry work for  Osprey Miltiary Publishing,   for this period there is vol I of imperial China series  Imperial China
and  another Osprey, rather  badly needing rewriting,but with beautiful iconography and illustrations by late Angus McBride, Atilla and Nomad Hordes, by dr Nicolle -  Attila and hordes .
 For reconstructions of the nomadic warriors you can look for  "Warriors Of Eurasia, from the VIII century BC to the XVII century ad" by Mikhael V Gorelik, Montvert Publications, 1995.
For the nomadic Bronze and Iron Age art in China nomadic heritage best are the  books by art historian Emma Bunker , eg Ancient Bronzes of the Eastern Eurasian Steppes or Nomadic Art of the Eastern Eurasian Steppes

but there is  this article written by two art galleries, Janssens and Wace with Emma Bunker help, on the nomadic Bronzes .
Also, a very  interesting book by Davis-Kimbal, Bashilov and Yablonsky:  Nomads in the Early Iron Age .

 ***
  Finally the Orlat belt plaques - found by Galina Pugachenkova -  these are some of the most important images of Central Asia nomadic warriors and warrior lore, perhaps  Xiongnu warriors in this article  with detailed drawings Mode Orlat and Russian language version by messers Nikonorov and Khudiakov on Academia.

...and so many others, one only needs to starts searching the net and peruse resources and libraries...

In China equine-military history overview treads on my blog, next I think I am going to tackle the Tang China and her marvelous horse.
And here is a very interesting site with reconstructed images of Chinese warriors' arms and armor throughout the history china-ancient-armours

ps
 I hope to cover some of the subjects mentioned above  in more specific blog entries with my own reconstruction etc.
ps'
little sketch of a Sui or Korean caparisoned horse, drawn without a bridle nor bit - on purpose :)

Xenophon on colt- young stallion conformation

Salve,
let us return for a moment to that time  less than 2,400 years ago, of the IV century BC,  when Athenian hippeis, adventurer, philosopher and writer Xenophon (Ξενοφῶν ) wrote his famous On Horsemanship ( Peri hippikés) treatise, and I am going to 'publish' here the most relevant parts of that ancient work since this work seems to sum up the ancient  Indo-European (North Iranian, Thracian, Greek, Persian and Median) knowledge  on horses in war and parade.

Xenophon (Ksenofont, Ксенофонт,) :

   1.In regard to a colt not yet broken, it is plain that we must examine his body ; for of his temper a horse that has never been mounted can give no certain indications.

2. In respect to his body, then, we assert that we must first examine the feet; for as there would be no use in a house, though the upper parts were extremely beautiful, if the foundations were not laid as they ought to be, so there would be no profit in a war-horse, even if he had all his other parts excellent, but was unsound in the feet; for he would be unable to render any of his other good qualities effective.

   3. A person may form his opinion of the feet by first examining the hoofs ; for thick hoofs are much more conducive to firmness of tread than thin ones ; and it must also not escape his notice whether the hoofs are high or low, as well before as behind ; for high hoofs raise what is called the frog ' far above the ground; and low ones tread equally on the strongest and softest part of the foot, like in-kneed men. Simon says that horses which have good feet may be known by the sound; and he says this with great justice, for a hollow hoof rings against the ground like a cymbal.
4. Since we have commenced with this part, we shall ascend from it to the rest of the body. The bones immediately above the hoofs, then, and below the fetlocks, must be neither too upright, like those of a goat (for then, being too unyielding, they shake the rider, and such legs are more subject to inflammation), nor ought those bones to be too sloping; for the fetlocks will in that case be denuded of hair and galled, if the horse be ridden either among clods or over stones.

5. Of the legs the bones ought to be thick ; for they are the supports of the body ; but it is not in veins or flesh that their thickness should consist, since, should this be the case, they must, when the horse is ridden over hard ground, be filled with blood, when hard tumours will arise, and while the whole leg is swollen, the skin will widen ; and when the skin is loose, the small bone of the leg4 often gives way, and renders the horse lame.

6. If the colt, as he walks, bends his knees freely, you may conjecture that he will have supple legs when he is ridden; for all colts in the course of time acquire greater freedom of motion in their knees ; and supple joints are justly commended, for they render a horse less likely to stumble and grow tired than stiff joints.

7. The forearms under the shoulders, if they are stout, appear stronger and more graceful, as is the case with those of men. The chest, if somewhat broad, is better adapted both for beauty and strength, as well as for keeping the legs, not so as to touch, but wide apart.

8. The neck, as it proceeds from the chest, should not fall forwards, like that of a boar, but should grow upwards like that of a cock, and should have an easy motion  at the parts about the arch. The head should be bony, and have a small cheek. Thus the neck will be directly in front of the rider,' and the eye of the animal will see what is before his feet. A horse of such a shape would be less able to do mischief, even though he be extremely vicious ; for it is not by bending, but by stretching out the neck and head, that horses attempt to be mischievous.

9. It is necessary to observe, however, whether both the fates * (On account of the smallness of the jaw, which will not obstruct his sight. Weiske ) be soft or hard, or only one of them, for horses which have not both the jaws alike are generally obstinate. To have the eye prominent gives an air of greater vigilance to a horse than to have it sunk, and a horse with such an eye can see much further than another.

10. Wide nostrils are not only better adapted for breathing than those which are contracted, but make a horse appeal more terrible; for when one horse is angry at another, or is excited in being ridden, he dilates his nostrils.

11. When the top of the head is somewhat large, and the ears rather small, they render a horse's head more like what it ought to be. The point of the shoulder being high renders the seat of the rider more secure, and makes the shoulder appear more firmly attached to the body. A double spine is both much softer to sit upon, and more pleasing to the eye, than a single one.

12. The sides being somewhat deep, and swelling towards tin belly, render a horse in general more easy to ride, and stronger, and make him appear better profited by his food. The broader and shorter the loins are, the more easily the horse raises his fore parts, and brings forward his hinder ones; and in so doing, his belly will appear smaller, which, if large, partly disfigures a horse, and renders him also weaker and less able to carry weight.

13. The haunches should be broad and well covered with flesh, that they may correspond to the sides and the chest; and if these parts are compact, they will be lighter for running, and render the horse much swifter.

14. If a horse has the thighs under the tail broad and not distorted, he will then set his hind legs well apart, and will by that means have a quicker  and firmer step, a better seat for a rider, and will be better in every respect. We may see a proof of this in men ; for when they wish to take lip anything from the ground, they try to raise it by setting their legs apart rather than by bringing them together.

15. A horse should not have large testicles; but it is impossible to tell what will be the size of them in a colt. With regard to the pasterns of the hind legs, or shins, as well as the fetlocks and hoofs, we may make the same remarks as we made concerning the fore-legs.

16. I wish also to show by what means \ person will be least likely to be deceived in regard to the probable size; for any colt that has very long legs when it is foaled will become a very large horse, since in all quadrupeds the shank-bones do not grow much as time advances, but the rest of the body, that it may be symmetrical, grows in proportion to them.

17. Those who judge in this way of the shape of a colt seem to us most likely to get a horse that has good feet, and is strong, fleshy, and of a good figure and size. Even though some horses change as they grow up, yet we may still have sufficient confidence in these observations to form a judgment; for far more horses, from being ill-shaped, become well proportioned, than grow deformed after having once been well-shaped.

 The above translation is by Rev. J. S. Watson, published in 1891
link to a Spanish language scholarly article (from Gladius magazine) on the Ancient Greek riders and their 'echo' amongst the Iberians http://gladius.revistas.csic.es/index.php/gladius/article/download/29/30
ps
 at the top my own little sketch of a warhorse, I hope :) and a photo of a  Hellenistic spirited war horse covered with a leopard 'schabraque' (sort of like Alexander the Great before and Hungarian, Polish and Ottoman Turkish riders during the XVI-XVIII centuries)

Horace Hayes on horses

Horace Hayes in his book 'Points of horse,' published in the 1897, presented his very learned opinions regarding what a particular type of horse should have been, his description was based in his extensive travels and experiences as cavalryman, scientist,  horse trainer, equine historian etc. I am giving his horse conformation description and views here, because I think,  H. Hayes gives us a very sound opinion on what a war horse should have been built like prior to the XX century, and I think it applies to horses throughout their use in human warfare since North Iranians on the great Eurasian Steppe first took to mounted warfare,  at least 3000 years ago. Note his insistence on the trooper and officer horse's height when in war conditions, very important! The shortness of legs, and his stoutness in general, in cavalry trooper horse brings to my mind the Mongol-Tatar bachmats of the Pontic-Caspian steppe.

The Cavalry Trooper.—The ideal cavalry horse should (if price has not to be considered) be of the heavy weight (Fig. 433) or thick-set (Fig. 322) hunter type. His chief requirements as regards conformation are as follows :—

1. That he should be up to the weight he has got to carry, which is usually about 18 stone. But he should on no account be too heavily topped for his legs, or for the work he will be called upon to do. His loins, therefore, should be strong, his shoulder-blades long, and his legs should be as short as is compatible with the possession of sufficient speed for military purposes.

2. His legs and feet should be particularly sound and well able to stand work. As he will be called upon at times to go fast and to leap ; his back tendons should be more or less parallel with the cannon bone, and he should have no tendency to undue width of fetlock (p. 282, et seq.).

3. His fore-hand should be light, so that his legs and feet may continue sound, and that he may be able to do his school work properly.

4. He should have a good carriage of the head and neck, so that he may be obedient to the rein.

5. He should be a " good doer," and have a strong constitution, which will usually be the case with a horse that has a bright eye ; soft, cool skin ; deep rounded barrel (pp. 232 to 236); full flank ; firm, prominent anus; and is well ribbed up.

6. In times of peace, the height will usually vary from about 15.1 to 16 hands; but for war purposes, when endurance is of paramount importance, the height should not exceed 15.2, and may be as low as 14.1, especially if Arabs are employed.

The Officer's Charger.—A cavalry officer's first charger, with all the useful points of the cavalry trooper, should have undeniably good looks, and a showy carriage of the head and tail, which should not be docked. As he will have to carry less, and will cost considerably more than an animal in the ranks, he should be well bred, and, with a rider of ordinary weight, he should approach the type of a handsome thorough-bred hunter. A second charger should have all the useful points of a first charger ; but need not be so good-looking. The colour will, as a rule, depend on regimental regulations. Speaking generally, he should not be less than 15.3, during peace time, because a man at the head of a regiment of cavalry, or of a battery of Horse or Field Artillery, looks best on a tall horse. On a campaign, the height should be the same as that advised for a cavalry trooper.

The Artillery Horse.—Artillery horses are divided into those for Horse Artillery and those for field batteries. As the teams of the former have to manoeuvre with cavalry, and also drag their guns, they require to be exceptionally strong, smart horses. The latter, as they are supposed not to go faster than a trot, are stronger and slower horses than those of light cavalry. The wheelers are active, light-built cart-horses. For their work, they need to be somewhat thick in the shoulders, short on the leg, and of considerable weight to stop the gun when the order to halt is given. Their hind-quarters, loins, and hocks should, therefore, be particularly strong. The riding horses of the Nos. 1 and markers of field batteries should be of the light cavalry type.

The Mounted Infantry Horse should be of the same type as the cavalry charger, and should be about 14.2 high. Fig. 437 shows a good specimen of a remount, which did excellent service during the late Boer war. The pony in Fig. 438, though small, was of a useful kind, and also served in South Africa during 1900 and 1901.

The Polo Pony.—Handiness and speed, with sufficient staying and weight-carrying power, are the two chief requirements of the polo pony. Consequently, he should be light in front, should carry his head and neck well, have sloping shoulders, strong hocks, and his hind legs well under him. The fact of his being rather " goose-rumped " will be no detriment. These views are strengthened by the remarks made on pages 310 and 311 about the conformation of the zebra; for the polo pony, like his striped relative, requires great ability of suddenly stopping, turning round, and galloping off in the opposite direction. This turn has to be done chiefly on the hind legs, which in this case will be more or less bent, and will then have full power to project the pony in the new direction. The best English polo ponies, such as the once matchless Dynamite,  are animals which, but for an accident of breeding, would have been high-class hunters or brilliant chasers.
source:
Points of Horse pp392-95

another horse so called Hack  pp389
The Hack.—The chief points about the hack are that he should be " light in front," have sloping shoulders, and sound legs and feet, so that he may be sure-footed and able to stand work ; and he should be rather high in front (pp. 177 and 178). The conformation of his head and neck should be such as to allow him to bend readily to the rein. The action of the hack should be somewhat " high" and should be " true," so that, when viewed from behind, the near pair of limbs, in the walk, trot and canter, should move in a line parallel to that of the off pair. Action, good looks, and a showy carriage of the head and tail are essentials in the high-priced hack.
 According to hipologist Juan Carlos Altamirano, great historian and specialist on the Pura Rasa Espanola or Spanish Horse,  the XVI century nondescript  hacks or 'haquas' imported from England, Northern Europe and Poland were foundation horses along with particular Barb, Neapolitan and Andalusian stallions and Marismenas mares when king Felipe II (Philip II) ordered creation of the breeding program at the Yeguada Real in Cordoba, Spain in 1567 AD.

H. Hayes' entire book can be read here, but my text belongs to 1904 edition and the  photos of the horses given in the text as well   http://books.google.com/books?id=P1sCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false
ps
 at the top some old sketch of mine

XV century Medieval Saddles from MET

Salve,
today I would like to share with you some screenshots of a video of the German Gothic Medieval Saddles  kept on display at the MET - Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York.  Light is rather dim in there and I did make some video instead of taking the photos this time.
These XV century saddles are beautifully carved in bone (stag). They must remind us about the wonderful pageantry of the Medieval horse worlds. The best book to talk about that may be  the famous book '

The waning of the Middle Ages' by    Johan Huizinga 

  http://books.google.com/books?id=Ol2rd6MM474C&printsec=frontcover&dq=waning+of+the+middle+ages&hl=en&ei=wC9kTNbtOsOBlAea94COCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

We can only imagine  how splendidly these saddles must have looked when taken on a glorious parade day done somewhere in Nuremberg or some other beautiful Medieval German Imperial city of the period.  The tree is lindenwood (which is very soft) covered with thin rawhide, and with a birchbark lining glued onto it, in order to make it waterproof and stronger, then the bone plates were attached/glued.  Museum curators linked it to the Prague, Czech, workshop based on some orders from mid XV century from Prague. More MET images and short description are here http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/40.66

Note the stirrup and cinch holes/slots in their relationship to the saddles' center. MET Curator S.V. Grancsay stated that according to this opinion the rider must have been sitting on the cantle when ridding.

More on the bone carving in the Gothic Era http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/goiv/hd_goiv.htm

ps
Interesting article about mounted lance combat, saddles etc http://www.classicalfencing.com/articles/shock.php

War horse 'dextrarius opertus'

Salve,
Fascinating subject and wonderful art - great horse and his (as it was a stallion or a gelding) equine friends 1250-1450 AD.

    the image (color insert into the same but a black and white one) above of a knight in full 1420-30s suit of armor mounting his fully caparisoned horse, note horse has a chamfron to protect his head,  comes from the illuminations and poems book by Medieval writer Catherine de Pisan(Pizan) published in the XV century  http://xenophongroup.com/montjoie/pizan.htm  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_de_Pizan
Bayeux Tapestry horses http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bayeux_Tapestry_5.jpg
pre-1250 charging knight http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/9181137F-172A-4F8F-9F12-0B3D6B4B6C9C/IH164168.jpg
 some medieval iconography of the Middle Ages golden era - 1250-1450:
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Einhard_vita-karoli_13th-cent.jpg

 Ucello horses (at Fornovo the Italian heavy horse fought the French almost to a vicotry)  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Paolo_Uccello_023.jpg

Tourney http://x35.xanga.com/f6fa82660753577263791/m52329369.jpg 
 http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g161/defrostindoors/history/ladyknghtrdr.jpg



 famous painting http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/7A3557AA-9405-4B67-9870-58839B5EAE97/CS005704.jpg


Paolo_Uccello's Hawkwood  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Paolo_Uccello_044.jpg/280px-Paolo_Uccello_044.jpg

 another Italian condotiere http://www.lukespence.com/art/102/ch-21-italy-1400-1500/don-horse.jpg
Verrocchio condotiere   http://www.paradoxplace.com/Insights/Equestrian/Equestrian_Images/Verrocchio%20Colleoni%20c1483%20BR.jpg
great horses and palfreys of the clergy painted by Jan van Eyck http://www.cavhooah.com/info/wp-content/gallery/early-cavalry/knighted-cavalry-and-noblemen-painting-by-jan-van-eyck-circa-1390-1441.jpg

Caparisoned horse with a great helm rider http://geopolicraticus.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/cangrande.jpg
 more caparisoned horses http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/7E4821A0-91CF-46A0-A9FB-A0237F59C61A/IH164100.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1465/knightsaddle1170.jpg
 king using his servant to mount his white horse http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Medieval/war/BattleOfManzikert.jpg
here in many others we have the use of double reins http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/4FF14BF0-465C-4CC1-8308-0955D2646C21/CS004792.jpg  
http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/F00F5D17-2015-4FA3-BD63-7BF973B1D878/IH164002.jpg
battle of Poitiers  http://www.man.poznan.pl/~ritter/tmp/psie/Rycina_Poiters.jpg
 combat http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/ConsulterElementNum?O=IFN-8100062&E=JPEG&Deb=38&Fin=38&Param=C

one of the most famous illuminations Luttrell Psalter knight and his ladies http://www.boryssnorc.com/oldsite/images/articles/heraldicfrocks/luttrell_psalter.jpg
one of the most elaborated curb-bits with lots of control and damage potential http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/04.3.478a,b
 Spanish rowel spur http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/14.25.1737
 high saddle, curb and breastplate on a famous Bamberg sculpture http://www.roma-antiqua.de/forum/galerie/data/500/Bamberger_Reiter.jpg

past 1450 -man-at-arms, a beautiful watercolor  by Durer http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/100/duerer_-_studie_reiter_1495.jpg

 Let us recall that our own Polish king Wladyslaw II Jagiello rode a roan stallion at the battle of  Grunwald  (Tannenberg) Ad 1410 

One of the most advanced equestrian cultures of the European Middle Ages - Teutonic Knights and their horses in this article by one of the most noted medieval scholars - Sven Ekdahl  http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/ekdahl.htm

great page on caparisoned horses or rather the Medieval caparison itself http://www.larsdatter.com/caparisons.htm
palfreys http://www.pizan.lib.ed.ac.uk/miniatures/144a.jpg
allegory or truth - ladies ridding caparisoned warhorses http://molcat1.bl.uk/IllImages/Kslides%5Cbig/K010/K010289.jpg
ladies with Alexander http://i26.servimg.com/u/f26/11/53/58/72/a154.jpg
 ladies in horse combat http://i26.servimg.com/u/f26/11/53/58/72/a143.jpg
http://mediaephile.com/images/Paris,%20Bibl.%20Mazarine,%20ms.%201559%20,%20f.%20111.jpg

 this page has many illuminations of warrior ladies of the Middle Ages http://mediaephile.com/forum/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1213254594

finally nothing beats a pacing horse, for comfort and pleasure of riding it - in this wonderful miniature http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/BritLibAddMS35166ApocalypseUnkFolio3SealBlackHorse.jpg

Above late Medieval hunters of the XV century painting - in the foreground a wonderful white stallion being ridden in a complete collection, he could shame many a rider at today's dressage competitions, note all the horses have curb-bits and second rein, and a bridle without nasal/nose band.

Inwentarz - estate inventory - po nieboszczyku JeMPanu Stanisławie Stawskim

Salve,
    here is this very interesting estate inventory of movables left by Stanislaw Stawski, cavalryman of the second half of the XVII  century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Published by a web user and practicing historian 'Miuti' here:  http://www.historycy.org/index.php?showtopic=11878&view=findpost&p=685546
     Original writing was cleaned a bit by dear Miuti and it is very readable for a Polish reader,  at the link given above.
For my purposes, horses and horse tack, I will mention several interesting, horse related aspects of this estate inventory :
Written list of things left  by the deceased  Stanisław  Stawski, having served as a companion under the 'pancerni' ( as much as I want to use wikipedia, the entry in wikipedia on this subject is less than satisfactory) banner of Stefan  Bidziński (famous Polish horseman, cavalry commander and king Jan III Sobieski's confidant).


Horse tack:
rządzik za który dał nieboszczyk złotych dwieście ze wszystkim porządny, 
1. horse harness set (briddle, saddle, brestplate, crupper etc) paid by the deceased on the amount of 200 zloty and in all a fine one.
gończa uzdeczka nowa jedna, 
2. one 'hunting' bridle, new

3 kulbaka haftowana z olstrami haftowanymi z wojłokiem adamaszkiem podszytym, z pistoletów parą, bez płata jedna
 Kulbaka - Old Polish Eastern-style - war saddle, with pistol holsters embroidered, with a felt saddle banket covered with damask  wiki/Damask , also two pistols and this saddle was without a 'skirt,' one
4 drugich kulbak trzy,jedna nieboszczykowska, dwie czeladnych bez wojłoków,
 other{lesser quality?] 3 war-saddles, one of the deceased, two of the retainers' without felt [blankets]


namiot turecki zdobyczny porządny,
 Turkish tent, captured booty, and in good order

horses:

Koń gniady pocztowy zdechł.
 Bay horse, retainer's,   died
U chorągwi drugi także zdechł,
when with the banner/company, another of his horses (retainer's) also died
także i z drogi do domu idąc od chorągwii Jurkiewiczy klacz zdechła u chorągwi myszata,
another mare, grulla or mouse dun, died going home form the Jurkiewiczy banner,   died .
podjezdka jednego białego dano księdzu od pogrzebu a drugiego wronego co się zwał Bałwanem ukradziono. 
One gray/white rouncey [stallion or gelding] was given to the priest who had performed at the funeral, and the second black one known as 'Balwan' (Clown ?) was stolen.

Teraz do domu od chorągwi przyszli ale bardzo chude i znędznione, jeden cisawy od JeM Pana Marcina Stawskiego, drugi wrony, trzeci z tureckiej zdobyczy kary podjezdek.
 Now the horses  that finally have returned home from the banner/company but they are very thin and in poor condition, first a roan from Marcin Stawski (another companion), second raven black, third black from  the Turkish [war] spoils/booty
.......

Source:  this registry comes from m the State Archive in Cracow, Wawel Castle division, part of the estate archive of  Karol Wacław Larisch (1603) 1768- (1868).
....

battle of Bolkhov 1608 I

salve,
while in Poland,  and having taken the opportunity of purchasing Polish books at some much lower prices than in the US, I did buy some and now I have been reading 'Od Starduba do Moskwy', by Andrzej G. Przepiorko, published by inforteditions, a  Polish language book on military history  during the time period from after the death of the Tzar Dimitri II (known in older Russian historiography as False Dimitri I), Bolotnikov uprising against the Shuisky 'usurpation,' and  appearance of  False Dimitri II with his Polish military commanders, and  the fully blown civil war in Muscovy known as Time of Troubles - Wielka Smuta, Смутное время, that would eventually led to Polish and Swedish wars against the Muscovy etc.
What interests me during the time period of 1607-1608 is the military career of the scion  of the old Gediminid (Ruthenized Lithuanian princes) family and Polish military officer Roman Rozynski, and his brilliant military victories against  Tzar Shuisky armies.

From my perspective this time period of 1607-1608 is very interesting because of the participation of Polish mercenary  cavalry (hussars, petyhorski and cossack banners)  in these struggles, emergence of the Lisowski light cavalrymen (famous in the 30 Years War as 'Lisowczyks') and for the Polish and Lithuanian history emergence several low level  Polish cavalry officers as military leaders who would distinguish themselves as able commanders of these motley crew armies  that carried  False Dimitri II to his final capital/camp in Tushino etc.
 In this context military leadership of Roman Rozynski is quite remarkable, especially during his quite amazing victory  during the two day-long battle of Bolkhov in May 1608 between the forces of legitimate Zar and Zar-pretender, or impostor if you will.

The actual battle took place some 21 km  south of Bolkhov, in the vicinity of the rivers Kamenka and Sukha, and author Andrzej Przepiorko concludes  that actual battle took place in the swampy valley  of Kamenka. The actual commander of the False Dimitri army Roman Rozynski was preparing his battle plans in face of rather overwhelming enemies. God of war Ares was sharpening his tools...

Chaucer horses

Salve,
I recently had  my son Jasio read  the kid's version by Marcian Williams   Chaucers-Canterbury-Tales-Marcia-Williams and then watch BBC series for kids  canterburytales   , versions of the  original   Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales.' Note that an early 1900s edition of this book can be read and downloaded here - (Canterbury Tales from google)

 By the way, we should remember that word 'canter' to denote a 'slow gallop' in today's  English actually comes from the ambling pace of the Canterbury pilgrims' horses - where canter is an abbreviation of word Canterbury.  Hence Canterbury gallop or Canterbury pace* were phrases applied to the easy, ambling pace at which horse ridding prilgrims went to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury. As these pacing horses were gradually forced out of the breeding and training in England by the growing numbers of trotting and galloping English thoroughbreds, the term 'canter' or 'easy gallop' of these Throughbres was adopted into the English language hippological vocabulary and on vernacular vocabulary, at end of XVII century and beginning of XVIII century.

And now I found this paper by that is examining horses in Chaucer's tales Mounted Menagerie
Intriguing reading into the medieval horse world, I daresay.

Please find Chaucer's horses as described in the Tales: from the Prologue by Nevill Coghill, Penguin Classics, 1951:
The Wife of Bath
Easily on an ambling horse she sat
Well wimpled up, and on her head a hat
As broad as is a buckler or a shield;
She had a flowing mantle that concealed
Large hips, her heels spurred sharply under that."

The Merchant
There was a Merchant with a forking beard
And motley dress; high on his horse he sat,
Upon his head a Flemish beaver hat
And on his feet daintily buckled boots."
The Plowman
"He wore a tabard smock, and rode a mare."
The Reeve
"The stallion-cob he rode at a slow trot
Was dapple-grey and bore the name of Scot."
The Monk
"A monk there was, one of the finest sort
Who rode the country; hunting was his sport.
A manly man, to be an Abbot able;
Many a dainty horse he had in stable.
His bridle, when he rode, a man might hear
Jingling in a whistling wind as clear,
Aye, and as loud as does the chapel bell.....
His palfrey was as brown as is a berry."
The Skipper (sailor)
"He rode a farmer's horse as best he could."
  the text above comes from this website fellpony
some images of the Tales personages
the Manciple rider I
wife of bath  rider II
rider III
knight rider IV

Neo-Assyrian kingdom and her neighbors equids

Salve,
Neo-Assyrian Kigdom ( List of Assyrian kings  ) and its  art ( wiki/Neo-Assyrian_Empire   books.google Arts of Assyria  ) always invokes the strongest feelings because of a degree of brutality shown (in this XIX century book there are many images taken from Assyrian sculptures showing that side of their art  Assyria  ).
But at the same time their art is the best place where to find images of fabulous horses, horse tack and ample evidence of horsemanship for the period between 900 to 600 ( I millennium) BC (BCE).
From the cuneiform tablets we can learn that the best breeding ground for the  horses were in Mannea, east and south of Lake Urmia (  wiki/Lake_urmia  ).  Their horsemen were allegedly the first non-steppe cavalry organized in the so called civilized world of Western Asia, and their art gives ample proof of gradual changes in the horse tack, seat and weaponry and armour for these horsemen.
Paintings from Til Barsip, strategic Assyrian stronghold  located along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, c.100km northeast of Aleppo, Syria, provide beautiful examples of Assyrian horses and their tack eg til barsip chariot  some originals at Louvre and Aleppo Museum, many paintings copied by Lucien Cavro (I got mine from Andre Parrot, The Arts of Assyria Arts Assyria Parrot  )
Assyria had many enemies, including Egypt, Syrian princedoms, Elam  iranica.com elam , desert nomads, Medes, Persians, Anatolians, Babylonians to name a few. War was essential to their survival and wealth, while a mighty stallion, whether mounted or pulling a chariot, was the symbol of it.

But since a picture is worth a thousand words lets show some links and pictures to these images.
horse head
horse head II
horse head III
horse head IV
this one is interesting as it shows king hunting the lion with a spear from horseback, a theme so common in the Iran's Sassanian art more than a thousand years later king with spear attacking a lion
onager or wild ass
hunting lions from a chariot
tribute
chariot horses
4 horses' team in king's chariot
using a horse whip while riding
a lion attackiing a king's saddle horse
grooming and watering horses
metal head protection -frontelet
luristan bronze horse tack
Assyrian influenced Cypriot bridle from VII century
enemies of Assyria Urartu Chariot
 Assyrian spolis Urarartian captured_horses
 Assyrian fighting the camel desert nomads
 Assyrian troops return
 Balawat palace door of Salmanassar
Balawat palace door of Salmanassar2

 elamite chariot
Assyrian horsemen
no metal breastplate for the Assyrian horse have been found thus far but this one was found at Mannean site of  Hasanlu Tepe, Iran ( CAIS hasanlu   hasanlu MET   CAIS porada-hasanlu   ) where best horses were bred for the Assyrians and their enemies alike,  and is dated to around 800 BC  hasanlu breastplate
with a book on this horse breastplate breastplate book

'Horse' books to read : 'Selected writings on chariots and other early vehicles, riding and harness' Littauer et al    Hyland Horse in the Ancient World   Azzaroli
Finally, from Assyria we get the very first image (during the reign of Ashurnasirpal II or Shalmaneser III  - palace at Nimrud, ancient Kalhu) of so called 'Parthian Shot,' a tactic of turning around in the 'saddle' and shooting arrows,  from one's bow while  sitting astride a cantering or  galloping horse, at the pursing enemy. 
Here, the  Assyrian royal chariot is pursuing these most likely Iranian Skuda mounted riders and one of  them is about to fire his arrow at the chariot crew.

Head hunting and bow shooting Cimmerians and later Scythians/Skuda/Saka 

attacked and wrecked the kingdoms of  Assyria's enemies from Anatolia -   kingdom of Urartu and Phrygia  and  Mushki, but then next wave of these horsemen  lent their hands and bows   (in alliance with the Medes, who had finished off Urartu iranica.com/articles/media ) to the final destruction of  Assyria herself, at the end of the VII century,  and  the fall of the city of Harran marks the end of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Assyrian art would later surface in the Persian arts of the Achaemenid Empire etc.

Spanish and Polish horses - Konie Hiszpanskie z 1840tych wedlug Teodora Tripplin

Salveos.
  Polish soldier, doctor of medicine,  writer and traveler Teodor Tripplin wiki/Teodor_Tripplin , during his voyages of 1837-38 visited Iberian Penninsula and North Africa - it resulted in a number of books and articles,. He was quite a character, and  some of his stories got published as 'Maurowie niegdyś w Hiszpanii, a dziś w Afryce.' (Moors once in Spain, today in Africa) in Biblioteka Warszawska,   vol. 1 of the 1851 edition ( the story run throughout the  4 volumes). He, accidently  being a veteran Polish horse soldier, wrote, on pages 422-424, about Spanish horses of Jerez stud and put some comment on the Polish horses too in the context of the Spanish ones. I may translate his writings into English but for now  the Polish original for Polish readers -

"Miasto Xeres [JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA) leży wysoko na wyniesionej, cokolwiek pochyło ściętej opoce: Na lewo piętrzy się ogromny taras, który mieszkańcom służy za miejsce przechadzki. Bramy i obwodne mury ustąpiły domom, w miarę, jak się ludność miasta powiększyła; dziś dochodzi do 40,000, i wzmaga się ciągle w dostatki ta ludność; wszakżeż to stolica wybornych win i sławnych rumaków. ,, , •

Z wysokości obłoków nie spadajmy do głębokości piwnic, ale namówmy naszego Pegaza do fraternizowania ze swemi nieskrzydlatemi braćmi, którzy tutaj tak wesoło, tak swobodnie na polu pląsają. Sióstr tu nie masz wprawdzie; zwyczajem maurytańskim trzymają tutaj pleć piękną czworonożną pod szczególnćm i bardzo starannem zamknięciem; męzką zaś utrzymują w zupełnej niewiadomości, że coś podobnego, jak klacz lub kobyła, istnieje. Mówią, że takie wychowanie przykłada się wiele do utrzymania rasy w pełnej swój szlachetności.

Stadnina, z którą fraternizujemy w tej chwili, liczna i czysto-andaluzka, miała wprzódy zaszczyt należeć do Ojców Kamedułów, posiadających ów niezmierny klasztor tuż pod^Xeresem. Nieubłagany edykt Mendizabala pozbawił poczciwych ojców przytułku, wraz z niewinną przyjemnością trudnienia się rozmnażaniem rasy końskiej. Stadninę kupił z dobrami jeden hidalgo, w spółce z kilkoma majętnemi wieśniakami.

Konie czystej andaluzkiej rasy mają prawie bez wyjątku dwa ważne biedy piękności: tojest głowę wielką, rysów cokolwiek pospolitych, i krzyż cokolwiek wązki, zniżający się pochyło, nieco śwhkki jak to mówią. Zdawałoby się, że konie te słabe są w zadzie, a jednakże to się nie sprawdza, bo i nadzwyczajnie dobrze skaczą, i do dziesięciu mil geograficznych pod jeźdźcem ubiedz są w stanie bez schwacenia się, lub też zbytniego znużenia. . Inny błąd, według mnie także bardzo ważny, leży w ustroju tylnych nóg zanadto, wygiętych, a zatem zadaleko prześcigających przednie nogi. Krok takich koni jest długi, posuwisty, ale w wypuszczonym kłusie tylne kopyta zacinają się o przednie. W galopie niedogodność ta wcale się nie spostrzega, dlatego też Andalu* rzadko używa kłusa.

Konie andaluzkie nie tak prędko dorastają i dojrzewają, jak, stosunkowo mówiąc, ludzie tego kraju. Dopiero w siódmym roku przychodzą do swej właściwej siły; lecz za to nieprędko L pola schodzą. Konie wierzchowe dwadzieścia lat mające jeszcze są szybkie, giętkie i wytrzymałe. Późne rozwijanie się koni andaluzkich, pochodzi zapewnie także ze sposobu wychowywania ich w znanej nam niewiadomości. Do czwartego roku tak są dzikie, chude i kudłate, że pojąć nie można, żeby z takiego stworzenia wyrobił się koń silny i piękny.

,.i DonDiego Gonzales deRibeira pokazał mi pysznego bułanego ogiera, u którego, prócz łba cokolwiek wielkiego, nie było nic a nic do zganienia; krzyż bowiem miał piękny i nogi nie zanadto wygięte. Rosły, silny w kościach, z grzywą i z ogonem koloru jedwabiu surowego, a włosa tak bogatego, że aż na ziemię spływał, koń ten miał dumny, wysoki chód, a w galopie tak orał ziemię, jak gdyby ją chciał w kawały rozbić. Właściciel żądał za niego 12,000 złp. Piękne i wielkie konie zawsze są w Hiszpanii i drogie i rzadkie. Za konia jako tako zdatnego pod oficera kawaleryi lekkiój, zapłacić trzeba przynajmniej 1400 złp. Dodam ta jeszcze, że Hiszpanie nigdy klaczy pod wićrzch nie używają, ani tóż nigdy ogierów nie wałaszą. Zdaje się, że cała siła konia andaluzkiego spoczywa w jego męzkości; gdy ją raz postrada, przepadł do wszystkiego.

Pewny jestem, że nasza polska rasa koni, tak ładna i silna, w rękach umiejętnych i dbałych o jej sławę gospodarzy, wyższejby mogła dostąpić doskonałości, jak rasa andaluzka. Ale wlec za sobą źrebięta, zaledwie kilka tygodni żyjące, na wszystkie jarmarki i imieniny, zaprzęgać je do kocza w konkury, gdy zaledwie trzech lal dojdą, jestto barbarzyństwo, prowadzące najoczywiścićj do spodlenia całego plemienia koni.

W sztuce ujeżdżania koni Hiszpan bardzo jeszcze nizko stoi. Siedzi on wprawdzie mocno na koniu, z urodzenia bowiem śmiałym jest jeźdzcem; ale nie potrafi obejść się umiejętnie z koniem, nadać mu dobre chody, wygiąć go należycie w wstawach. Konie andaluzkie daleko są łagodniejsze i rozumniejsze jak nasze; uporu nie mają żadnego, niełatwo je znarowić, i łatwą bardzo pracą możnaby z nich wszystko zrobić, możnaby ich wszystkich sztuk nauczyć. Pomimo tego Hiszpan kładzie swemu koniowi munsztuk tak mocny, żeby nim hippopotama ujeździł, przytóm wędzidło do ściskania języka opatrzone jest sztangami, na dziewięć cali długiemi. Takim munsztukiem można wywierać nieograniczoną siłę na biódne zwierzę, można go odrazu osadzić na zadzie. Hiszpan namiętnie lubi używać takich rycersko-żakoskich effektów, drzćć galopem po bruku, raptem, krótko parować konia w najbystrzejszym biegu. .

Eleganci madryccy zaprowadzili gonitwy konne na sposób angielskich; koń hiszpański jednakże nie celuje wcale szybkością biegu, i w tym względzie o tyle jest niższym od naszego, ile nasz od angielskiego. ••/'•'' : • " ' ' "

•• Dość tutaj o koniach, wróćmy znów nad obłoki."

taken from google books editon of Biblioteka Warszawska, page 422-24, vol 1, 1851.  tripplin dzieje maurow
ps
 little sketch of mine above

China I - Tang Taizong and his steeds

Salve,
I am planing to start blogging more about the Eastern Eurasian Steppe, the Altai Saka, Xiongnu, Tocharians of Eastern Turkestan, Turkic empires, Mongolian and Chinese cavalry and horsemanship. While I am not planing to abandon European knights and horses, I think I must devote much more space and time to these splendid cavaliers of the Ordos Steppe and Orkhon River plains.

Actually, I am very fascinated with the early nomads of the eastern Eurasia, especially the Upper Altai of South Siberia during the Bronze Age and in the first millennium BC . And in the light of their development in the arts of horsemanship and horse tack, their ( Saka and Xiongnu) influence on their southern neighbours - the Chin, Han, Sui and Tang Chinese, and the Koreans and Tibetans.
I have been working on some illustrations showing Tang and Sui Chinese horse tack based on their art, especially the famous sculpted horses. We shall revisit writings of Karl Hrinz Ranitzsch, Albert Dien, Di Cosmo, and other scholars studying Han, Sui and Tang Chinese cavalries (that were not necessarily Han Chinese per se, but included Saka, Tocharians, Xiongnu, Persians, Uigurs, Turks, Tibetans etc).
So let us treat this entry as a introduction to the subject or perhaps rather an announcement. And in order to put some cream on this bland cake :) let me provide you with a link to the fascinating subject regarding my most favorite emperor of the Chinese history - Tang Taizong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Taizong_of_Tang - and his six horses.
This link comes via Facebook from Penn State and it is the entire dissertation of Xiugin Zhou on the Tang Taizong mausoleum to himself and his six steeds - tang taizong horses
http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=115480258202&h=b0fb8c794d67ba8b6b81c9cdfb099f60&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sino-platonic.org%2Fcomplete%2Fspp187_taizong_emperor.pdf

In addition there is this essential work on the Eastern Eurasian horse warriors and their swords during the ancient and early medieval periods - titled 'The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia'by William Trousdale, profusely illustrated with period images smithsoniananthropologyTrousdale
http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/anthropology/SC_Abstract.cfm

I hope to start writing soon on these Eastern horses and their riders

ps
for some reason my links did not want to display themselves properly so I am attaching them for a 'copy and paste' 'linking'

Polish-Lithuanian warrior with his Polish sighthound

Salve,
during the XV century  through first half of  XX century Polish chart/ plural charty/  (sighthound   chart_polski/  ) was a close companion of the Polish-Lithuanian noblity, especially during their military campaigns and hunting excursions into the vastness of  our steppes and forests.

 These beautiful dogs, often called wolf-hounds, as they were great against wolves,  are often present in the paintings  and memoirs (most accessible in English famous  Pasek Memoirs   page 255 )  of this bygone era.
 In more modern literature, in the Polish writer Bohdan Krolikowski's cycle of fantastic and beautifully written trilogy on the Swedish and Muscovy wars of the mid XVII century, the main hero Blażej Siennicki had a near death experience while hunting with his companions and their Polish charty in the vicinity of the Swedish army, forgetting that the war was all around them.
Hunting in spite of  war all around the hunters always brings to my imagination the famous chase that Scythian nobles undertook after a hare that had appeared between their own lines and the Achaemenid Persian of Darius the Great army arrayed for battle - or so wrote in his Ἱστορίαι  Herodotos (Book IV).
Our Polish chart is a close cousin of Russian borzoi (nice little book on borzoi observed in the early XX century here  observations on Borzoi ). Nota bene Polish sighthound was often called 'Polish borzoi' (swift or fast) dog in the XIX century, and belonged to the great Asian family of  borzoi dogs (sighthounds), for  it was also a cousin of a dog from southern Ukraine called Crimean borzoi, bred by both arch-enemies and sometimes friends of their northern neighbors-  the Crimean Tatars, and the Central Asian borzoi that was bred by the Central Asian nomads from time immemorial :); also a cousin of Moldavian sighthound, Caucasus sighthound, Persian sighthound etc.

Polish painter Juliusz Kossak  ( .wikipedia /Juliusz_Kossak  ) often painted these splendid dogs in   XVII-XIX century settings, the first scene most likely he observed in person eg:

My drawing was done with a 'F' size  Rotring Artpen and watercolor brushes, and then I worked it a little bit  with GIMP Paint Studio and Wacom tablet.

Eques Walachus - Wallachian knight second half of XVI century

Salve,
early this month  I did some travel across the Big Pond and while on a plane I was working, with  a ball pen, on my quick sketch done after  the  plate 111 in the  monumental work 'Zolnierz Polski,' vol 1 (Polish Soldier) by colonel Bronislaw Gembarzewski.

In the original plate mosci Gembarzewski drew two Wallachian ( Wallachia  ) warriors after 1581 print by Abraham de Bruyn.
I drew the horse and some of its tack after the Gembarzewski's Figure A, in turn  itself  based on de Bruyn's one  titled 'Eques Walachus'. The rider's costume is done after the Figure B from the same de Bruyn's plate, titled 'Militis ex Walachia vestitus' (knight/warrior dressed in the Wallachian fashion).
Bows and arrows. short lance, horse curb-bit, the saddle etc are my own additions. I drew the Balkan shield attached on the the right side behind the saddle in order to show more saddle etc. The stirrup probably should be rounder, and I will change that on my color version of this drawing.
I run my drawing through the GIMP Paint Studio cartoon filter to give a bit of a woodcut look.
I hoping to draw more horse and rider figures after mosci Gembarzewski's work in the coming months.

old watercolor, pen & ink Napoleonic Polish cavalry images

Salve,
today I am still capitalizing on my old artwork, and I am presenting 3 old pen and ink, watercolor and watercolor pencil images that I have run through GIMP cartoon filter
This one is my, rather poor,  copy  of the Colonel Bronislaw Gembarzewski watercolor done almost a hundred years ago. It shows an officer of the Napoleon's Le 1er régiment de chevau-légers lanciers polonais or the Polish Guard regiment of cheavaux-legers.

The second is my color pencils and watercolors sketch of such officer  bearing a message :) at least that was my intent. I could not control the color  with these water soluble pencils.

Final one is a drawing of a Duchy of Warsaw Uhlan. I think I did draw this copying the some other pen and ink drawing by JOB or Begnini or some other military artist. I added the clolors to the rider and horse with watercolor and the background with GIMP Paint studio.
Last year  Poland's premier military Napoleonic publishers, Wyd. Karabela (this is a family owned little company, led by a woman, and I am proud to say I met them at the Kluszyn 2010 celebration in Warsaw two weeks ago),  gave us  splendid books on the uhlans, Vistula Legion  and Chevau-legers lanciers polonais, fantastically illustrated  with  these amazingly precise and artful plates (as seen in the links) by artist-historian Ryszard Morawski ( who is already in his 80s!)   .karabela.waw.pl/ulani.htm   www.karabela.waw.pl/legia.htm  www.karabela.waw.pl/gwardia.htm

More old watercolor, pen & ink Old Polish horse and rider images

Salve,
In my old stash of watercolors and drawings I found these two sketches.
A hussar charge

a Polish II half of the XVII century Pancerny (medium cavalry) companion

I actually have a growing folder with more recent kozak and pancerni drawings and GIMP & MyPaint imagoes

new Turkish horses with warriors sketches

Marhaba,
 I have been working on these two sketches of Turkish horses/warriors of different time periods - early Middle Ages and Ottoman empire.
the first one is going to show a retainer with a warhorse -roughly II part of the XVII century, but there is much more work to be done

the second -  it is going to show a Turkish horseman from the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia
Seljuk_Sultanate Rum and this is just a rough sketch

 

 

V...