Adaptation of Modern Tack for the SCA Equestrian

 

Introduction

This article is based on a research paper I wrote and submitted for Ice Dragon in 2011 titled, The Evolution of Tack (Horse Furniture)Through the Middle Ages into Modern Times. The intent was to satisfy the question for aspiring equestrians looking to get involved in SCA Equestrian related activities---"Can I use my modern equipment to participate, and will it be fairly historically correct? Or will I have to invest a large amount of money in making or buying medieval reproductions?"

Equestrian activities are expensive by their very nature. Adding on top of it the additional burden of expensive equipment specific to SCA activities can often deter equestrians from getting involved in the SCA aspect of riding in addition to their other activities. In attempting to promote the equestrian program and encourage greater participation, I sought to research this question so that the burden could be lessened and therefore, more people would consider involvement in SCA equestrian programs.

"Tack" is a term that is commonly understood to mean any equipment used on a horse. Another term for this type of equipment is "horse furniture." For our purposes here, we are talking about bridles and saddles as these are the most essential and obvious equestrian equipment.

Bits and Bridles
The important components of the bridle consist of the headstall, bit and reins. Metal bits and durable materials like leather and cord were developed as early as the 9th Century B.C.E. The form and design of these bridles and bits has remained fairly consistent through the early period and into the medieval age. The typical bit was what we now term the "O-ring snaffle" and "full cheek snaffle." Bits of this type have been recovered in both Europe and Arabia.1, 2  Clark’s The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, c. 1150 c.1450 provides good documentation for these bits which were found in the digs outside London.3


The following are extant bits from period: 

O-Ring snaffle

Full cheek snaffle



Pelham Bit

These are the modern day equivalents:

 
 


















The standard curb bit of today, with its shanks that project from the mouthpiece, was also in use during the medieval period as found in various sources, such as horse armor pieces on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City4, and depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.5 In later period, the length of the shank was exceptionally long, but in structure and design, these bits are identical to the common shanked bits of today. Modern bits of these types are, therefore, historically accurate as are combination bits such as the Pelham.6

Period Curb bit which is identical to a style used today:

The bridle’s design has changed little through history as well. The modern English bridle is nearly identical to bridles found in use during the medieval period as documented in various paintings and illuminated manuscripts. The throatlatch was used after the Norman period; most lack a throatlatch. 7 Modern bridles tend to incorporate the headstall and throatlatch into a single piece of leather, which is cut to allow part of the leather to pass under the horse=s throat area. Evidence for this type of construction is found in the later medieval period.8 There is a time in the middle of the medieval period when nosebands apparently were optional, as there is wide variation in its use.9 Thus bridles with or without nosebands would be historically accurate.

 

Modern bridle parts and period bridle from Wagner

Reins, made of cloth or leather, constitute the final essential part of a bridle. Braided reins, similar to those used today are clearly depicted on an Assyrian bas relief of a chariot horse’s bridle.10  Flat leather reins are also seen in extant pieces, similar to those used today.  Hence the common types of reins used in modern times are historically accurate.

Construction materials used in the medieval period such as sinew or waxed thread stitches and metal rivets are very similar to those used in some modern bridles. The use of leather ties is remarkably similar to the manner of fastening for modern western bridles, especially for rein attachment. Some medieval bridles were more decorative, consisting of metal inlay or attachments, or chain decorations. These highly elaborate bridles resemble parade bridles still seen in use today. In overall design, the standard English style bridle is historically accurate.

The Saddle
Saddle development advanced from simple saddle cloths to rigid structures with the invention of the stirrup. Saddle construction has remained fairly consistent through the medieval period into modern times. The saddle contains a rigid saddle "tree" to which straps and the seat are attached. This tree is very visible in the US Cavalry saddle, (the McClellan) showing it’s similarity to the Roman horned saddle and the war saddle of Henry V.11 The straps that hold the medieval saddle to the horse are also similar on modern English saddles, having two straps attached on either side, extending partway down the horse's side. To these were buckled a second strap, called the girth. The Bayeux Tapestry shows these straps very clearly, including the buckled girth.12

McClellan saddle

Roman horned saddle



War saddle of Henry V

Stirrup construction has remained fairly consistent since their invention by the Chinese between the 5th and 6th century.13 The only deviation we see is that of the western stirrup which was modified to protect the rider's foot from the brush of the American West. A stirrup found in the London digs and a 12th Century Iranian stirrup look like any stirrup that is in use by modern English riders. The top portion has a slot in the metal through which the leather passes, much as modern English stirrups are fitted.14

Iranian stirrup

London stirrup

Seat design has changed very little, with a few variations for decoration and use. Obviously specialized saddles used for jousting were modified to provide a more secure position and allow
the rider to brace against and absorb the shock of impact when jousting.15   Not all knights could afford such highly refined saddles as evidenced by the drawings of more simple designs from several German manuscripts, especially those portraying Marx Walther jousting.16 These flat design saddles were also commonly used while traveling on horseback. These look much like the modern pleasure or plantation English saddle.

The last component of the saddle is the covering that is placed over the tree, seat and strapping. Some medieval saddles were covered with cloth, sometimes velvet or embroidered cloth. The degree of ornamentation varies, dictated by the wealth and status of the owner. Modern saddles are primarily leather, while newer designs have synthetic materials; the former saddles would be more historically accurate. In style and shape, the modern English saddle is nearly identical to those used in the medieval period for traveling and hunting and is, therefore, historically accurate. 

Period example which appears similar to a modern Lane Fox, or pleasure, saddle

Summary

Through an examination of the evolution of horse tack through the medieval period, a researcher wanting to outfit a horse in the SCA with proper equipment is prepared to proceed with a good degree of confidence that the end product will be historically accurate. Furthermore, those persons wanting to build a medieval "horse kit" need only turn to their tack room to begin. A standard English bridle, with a common "O-ring snaffle," "full cheek snaffle," standard curb bit or a "Pelham" and a simple flat English saddle such as a dressage, saddle seat or Lane Fox saddle with standard stirrups will give the equestrian a good start. Barding, or the covering often depicted in art on the horse, is the next step to making your horse look distinctly "period."

Endnotes:

1.Sandra L Olsen and Cynthia Culbertson. The Gift of the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse. (Lexington, Ky: International Museum of the Horse, 2010). 105, 108, 125.
2.David Alexander, David, ed. Furusiyya: The Horse in Art in the Near East, vol. I (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 2010). 27, 28
3.Clark, John ed. The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, c. 1150 c.1450. (NY: Woodbridge: Museum of London, 1995.)47, 49.
 4.Pyhrr, LaRocca, and Breiding. The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620. (NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005). 24-7.
5.David A. Wilson. The Bayeux Tapestry. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1985.) Plate 11.
6.Hyland, Ann. The Warhorse: 1250-1600. (Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1998). 49.
7.Wilson. Plate 11.
8.Olsen. 194.
9.Wagner, Drobna, and Durdik. Medieval Costume, Armor and Weapons. (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2000.) Numerous plates.
10.Alexander. Vol I, 27.
11.Hyland. Medieval Warhorse. 6,7.
12.Wilson, Plate 11.
13.Clark. 72.
14.Olsen. 166.
15.Barber , Richard & Juliet Barker. Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages, Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2000. 55.
16.Barber. 62, 66, 71.

Sources:

Alexander, David. ed. Furusiyya: The Horse in Art in the Near East. Vol. I and II. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 2010.
Barber , Richard & Juliet Barker. Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages, Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2000.
Clark, John ed. The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, c. 1150-c.1450. NY: Woodbridge: Museum of London, 1995.
Dent, Anthony Austen. The Horse Through Fifty Centuries of Civilization. NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1974.
Hyland, Ann. The Medieval Warhorse: From Byzantium to the Crusades. London: Grange Books, 1994.
Hyland, Ann. The Warhorse: 1250-1600. Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1998.
Olsen, Sandra L and Cynthia Culbertson. The Gift of the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse. Lexington, Ky: International Museum of the Horse, 2010.
Pyhrr, LaRocca, and Breiding. The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620. NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005.
Wagner, Drobna, and Durdik. Medieval Costume, Armor and Weapons. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 2000.
Wilson, David A. The Bayeux Tapestry. London: Thames & Hudson, 1985.