Hi,
i"m french. i'm sorry for my bad englis but i learn (i try). i would like make an armor for my horse, i've a renactment group to the XIIème century (www.1186-853.org i'm Ursin). I look for some sources of gambeson or chainmail for horse of this period. I'm not sure of existence of horse armor at this period, if someone have something, thank you very much.
A other question do u know a good sword's maker in dasmascus
Philippe Yvorra

Welcome Philippe!

I don't have any sites off hand for horse armour which is that early, but they used not only maille and padded cotton armour, but leather as well. Couirboulli as well as rawhide were used extensively in many periods, but of course none of it has survived from the earlier periods. However, there are some great descriptions of both the cotton and the rawhide horse armours from the Spanish Conquest of the Americas. Cortez's men primarily used heavily padded cotton armour for themselves and their horses, while the conquistadores of North America such as de Soto, Coronado and Onate used mostly rawhide horse armours. There are a number of good books out there which contain bits of info on this, such as "The Broken Spears", the Aztec account of the conquest, and "The True History of the Conquest of New Spain" by Bernal Diaz de Castillo. For some pertinent information on the de Soto expedition, here's a good place to start:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/calderon/

I realize that it's all well outside your area of interest, but it may well be of some service in your quest for information. At least you can use it for comparison.

Cheers,

Gordon

hi,
thank you for your mail. You have a very good group. In france, there are no group like you on this period. We have many group on medieval area.

HAve a sunny day

philippe

Philippe;

Aren't there any reenactment groups doing 16th Century at all that you know of in France? I would think that the era of the Wars of Religion (1562-98) would be a hot prospect, much like the English Civil War is across the "Sleeve", and the American Civil War is here. Although I can imagine it is somewhat more comforting to be waging reenacting wars against a national "enemy" rather than one's own countrymen, but it DOES simplify things when changing sides (or "Galvanizing" as they say in these parts), to even up the sides if everyone can switch over with no difficulties.

Thanks for the complements, and good luck in your quest for equestrian armour. Here's another link you might check out:

http://ilaria.veltri.tripod.com/overviewbards.html

Unfortunately they are using the term "Barding" when they mean "Caprison", but there might be some useful information for you anyway.

Adieu!

Gordon

thank you for the link