Kia ora people.

I have recently begun looking for books on mounted combat, but there appear to be very few available - the only one I've found was "The Fighting Arts of German Chivalry". I was wondering if many of you have tried rossfechten, can offer me advice on books, DVDs, websites, anything to help me get started.

I haven't got a horse yet, or a sword or armour or anything - but I'll be getting them all soon, with any luck! Also I have assistance promised from a very experienced horse trainer who seems to teach her horses basic war-horse principles (their hunters, so they have to be okay with blood and death, they're REEAALLY tough, relatively fearless, and very, very calm - you can swing sticks, ropes, whips, anything around them and they barely flinch. We've even attacked cabbages on the finest of them, with no real skill or technique, just having fun). So I just want the techniques, theory, context, basically anything.

Thanks!

TL;DR - anyone know any good books on rossfechten?

Well, actually, the two key sources for Liechtenauer's long sword tradition in the 15th century, namely Peter von Danzig, and Sigmund Ringeck, give instructions on rossfechten. You can find a translation of von Danzig’s rossfechten in the book In St George’s Name by Christian Henry Tobler, and translations of Ringeck's rossfechten can be found in Sigmund Ringeck’s Knightly Arts of Combat (but NOT in Sigmund Ringeck’s Knightly Art of the Longsword) by David Lindholm, or in Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship, again by Tobler.

Also, King Dom Duarte's 1438 manuscript may be of interest. I am told that of the two translations available, the better one is in The Art of Riding in Every Saddle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Riding-Every-Saddle/dp/1461106613

Awesome - thanks guys!! Any others? The more the merrier, I figure... :)

Just a note, it looks like the Lindholm translation of Ringeck does not include rossfechten (I don't have it; I thought it did). Tobler's translation includes it.

If you click here and scroll down to the section on Mounted Combat, you can read translations of the different versions of Fiore's "rossfechten" http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Fiore_de'i_Liberi

In fact, you should look here, because it will save you time: http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:Mounted_Fencing

Hi,

if you want to learn how to ride like a REAL knight i can tell you it will take years and years and dozen of years! If you are up for this i have some tipps. You need a "baroque" riding teacher or a "vaquero". The baroque riding has its roots in the war-riding of the 15th century and still earlier. The best baroque rider i know is Wolfgang Krischke of the Princely Courtriding School in Bückeburg.
Nearly all the moves shown here were used for warhorses as well. The mezair for example gives you the ability to move in every direction and as you are in the gallop you can easily escape or charge.

Joram van Essen, Arne Koets and Dominic Sewell are just a few names to mention. Oh i see you are from New Zealand. In australia you can find Luke Binks, Andrew Mc Kinnon and Phillip Leitch. Talk to them! And next year you go to St. Ives

Also take a look at all these videos. I 'll number them to keep it short ;) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The art of riding in every saddle is a great book. I have it myself, a must-buy for you. Also you should buy the books of Pluvinel, la Gueriniere, Newcastle and Manoel Carlos de Andrade. And should your riding teacher ever say, those baroque bits are to suppress the horses will. --> Bitchslap him/here and go to some place were the people know what they are talking about. The worst thing you can do is end up in a english riding stable. However i also had to work with some western riding teacher(cowboy). He was ignorant as well '-.-
One thing for you, don 't be too fast. You need to get a really good seat and give most of the signals with your upper body and lower legs. Not the reins! "rising trot" is a no-go for a knight. This was developed in the 19th century to get the cavalry recruits to the front lines. It's the trick for idiots who can't ride. Knights stay seated or always stand, this depends on the saddle. But for you. You sit. And if you can't wait to get a horse, take some baroque breed you need collection with no end, only baroque breeds can offer this to you.
Oh yeah, please note all the fighting on horseback was carried out in gallop, it's unavoidable to fall back intro trot from time to time, but in all the manuscripts and paintings you see a galloping horse.

As riding takes quite a bit of practice in of itself, if you are starting out (like myself) and neither have horses nor frequent access to a historical equestrian riding instructor, you might follow the advice I have been given. That is to train for dressage several days / week with a dressage instructor who understands your intended purpose (and will support modifying training for it) while having some access to a historical equestrian riding instructor(s).

The translation of King Dom Duarte's 1438 manuscript, The Art of Riding on Every Saddle,is a wonderful read.