Black Rose Studio

Welcome to the Library!
Home of our information and documentation of our tack!
"How did you learn our language?" "I listened!" ~Herger and Ibn Falahan conversing~ 13th Warrior

Being a member of the SCA, (check the links page for more information) I am striving for realism as much as possible. This project has turned into a very big A&S project within the society on tack of the horses, the breeds used, the cultures surrounding the horses, and of course the people themselves. Horses were the mode of transportation, and where needed everywhere. Hence it was an insurance policy to protect your horse when in battle. During the crusades, knights went broke arming themselves and thier best war horses for battle.
I started researching just European tack, but soon realized this idea was bigger than that and has encompassed more than I orginally intended. If your interested in a design, culture, or have a brainstorm of your own, let me know. I will be taking custom orders again after September.
Heres an interesting tidbit from the Medieval Horse Guild, these folks know thier stuff!

Note on:The large draft breeds.
Most people who read this will know that the Belgians, Shires, Percherons and other really large draft breeds were bred as beasts of burden and not to be knight's great horses, but I'll repeat that fact anyway. The Great Horse of the middle ages was not a draft animal. Heavy draft horses are not intended to run fast, or carry big men in armor. They are bred to be steady and pull heavy objects such as a plow through thick clay to turn a field, or heavy dray wagons. They have a plodding gait and simply are not fast enough.
There are many exceptions to the rule. One of the most frustrating things about studying this subject is the fact that it is just about impossible to say something unequivocally. Icelandic ponies for instance are a gaited pony breed. They are one of the most authentic breeds from the genetic as well as cultural standpoints you can find anywhere. They also fit into none of the categories listed above! The middle ages was a huge span of history with a wide range of animal management practices and cultural influences. To sum up, the only real way to learn about medieval horses is to learn much about modern horses since they are a living link to a fifty century tradition of partnership. Secondly, read as much on the topic as you can to keep abreast of the renaissance of scholarship by the people who are the real experts in this field of study on the topic of medieval horses and horsemanship.
-- Drey (aka Andrew Mychalus) taken from the Medieval Horse Guild website
Even in the SCA breed dosn't matter so much as the horse is reliable and won't spook during an event, which leaves it open from seeing everything from appaloosa's to shires! From what I understand a horse didn't "carry" that much armor. A fully armored knights armor was only about 70 to 100lbs. However the richer the patron the more heavily armored his steed was. So it depends and is hard to say for sure. Like I said before, I am no expert, but I am researching heavily into this very topic.

Contact Information:
The Black Rose
Heather Trudgeon
[email protected]