[Peter Bosman]

Encountered these at a French sellier.

http://www.sellerie-phoenix.com/media/hussard1.jpg

For me they make stylish and at the same time practical bottle holders to go with my ecuyer- and gardian- saddles.

VERY well made.

HC

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

Those indeed are very nice holsters. There more 18th/19th Century in style than 16th or 17th, but there really wasn't all that great a difference in them other than length. The biggest difference is that the later holsters had a "saddle" between them to hang over either the pommel of the saddle, or the neck of the horse and kept the two holsters together. Renaissance and Baroque holsters tended to be separate and slung by a belt or loop to a ring on the saddle.

Here is a coule of photos of a pair of holsters belonging to a friend of mine, modern of course. They are of mid-17th Century design and as you can see quite similar to the one's you are interested it, other than some small details.

BTW, I've found that the 19th Century style holsters are just right for either a bottle of water, or better yet a bottle of wine. I shall assume that the bigger ones work just as well, maybe better. More wine! A loaf of bread in one, a bottle of wine in the other, and the day is all set!

I hope these help!

Cheers!

Gordon

[Peter Bosman]

Thx for the pictures Gordon.

In France originals fairly regularly turn up from the 18th century and later. Very reasonably priced too but the problem is they are always quite ... euhm... well used AND it would be a bit of a sin to use them up as that is what would happen.
I also have a nice, late 19th century, riding stick now that I do routinely use. The wood is quite resiliant and on the extreme trips I take the black ones I made myself. Though probably less strong they are easily replaced and the original is not.

I like to enjoy my wine but unfortunately this does not mix at all wel with the riding I do, thus water it needs to be unfortunately. In summer say 1½ litres of it is nothing of luxury during a sunny afternoon ride.
I carry a bottle on either side for balance in moist isolating containers. It will not stay cold but that is not what you want anyway and the air passing the wet bags ensures that evaporation heat keeps the contents comfortably cool. It looks plain TACKY though....
I do not like (read, my horses do not) riding with a breastpiece so the connecting flap comes in very handy. An accurate period look is not my main worry, not any worry in fact
The riding jacket I often wear very clearly has a modern collar and that is quite allright with me. I simply like the general style and also the malibaud saddles support my way of riding very well. The pistol holders match the saddle A LOT better than the plastic foam bottle isolaters that I will hide inside
My riding equipment has nothing to do with any period after the demise of the Numidian light cavalry anyway



This is the saddle they will go on,



and me riding in the saddle on the stallion it fits on



They would look nice would they not, with a fox fur xairel behind the cantle...

Saludos,

peter

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

VERY nice saddle you have there, I envy you for it! Is the maker Malibaud, or is this the style? Pardon my ignorance on this. I assume that yours is of Spanish manufacture, then? Or French?

One day I would very much like to get a Camargue style saddle. They seem to be made to fit the back well, and look oh-so Mediaeval!

Cheers,

Gordon

[Peter Bosman]

Malibaud is the brand of french master sellier Aimee Mohammed that started business in 1976.
In 1975 he made an adapted and modernised McClellan-type saddle for Sadko G.Solinksi.
Mr.Solinksi after a period of working as gardian in the camargue acquired an old farm house in the marsh of the Malibaud stream which was called Mas du Malibaud, where he started a trail riding centre, hence the brand name.
They perfected the design over thousands of kilometres and those saddles are still made as the Randonnee and Gardian models.

Closely following the illustrations in the books of Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere and Gaspard de Saunier Solinki designed and Aimee made the first Ecuyer model in 1977. The geometry of this saddle is ideally suited to the a-la-brida (bravante) style Solinski advocated but NOTHING else!
This is the late Sadko G.Solinksi with the first production Ecuyer on his 33 y.o. Ibiss in 2005.




All models are intended to be used a-la-brida style on a iberian type horse. There are ony two tree widths and two seat sizes. The largest seat size is 16½" as both Sadko and Solinksi consider a larger rider to be too heavy for this type of horse.

The Gardian and even more so the Randonnee has become the golden standard for trail riding in Europe.
The Ecuyer is a secret among professionals but because of the extremely unforgiving geometry rare even among them. Mine was made in 1997 and has #16. They turn up every now and again from fanatical academic riding students that after some years find this saddle it too unforgiving after all and with good reason.
The Malibaud saddles use top quality european eco-leather, the best waxed treads and made by one of the best european saddlers. The quality is second to none and the price-quality unequalled. Just look at these well used stirrups





They are however quite unforgiving. They have to suit you, the horse and your style or you both will be very unhappy and I always use them on a CorrecTOR (see my website under saddles) to make sure for the horse. Do NOT be temped to use a shearling seatsaver to save your own seat as this RUINS the contact and just serves to make matters worse.

We own three. A basic Randonnee, a customised Gardian and the Ecuyer.
This is my 4-year old son with the Randonnee on his mare I painted in the colours of the horse of his favourite Pipi Langkous



He LOVES the saddle. Hacer gymnasia (at a trot) he calls this



To cap a long story off, the Malibaud Ecuyer imo is THE best saddle for sale anywhere BUT if just for the style one should stay well clear of it and buy a portuguesa or one of the more userfriendly models made by http://www.sellerie-phoenix.com/sellesmediev.htm

Have fun!

peter

[Peter Bosman]

[Gordon Frye]

Thank you, Peter. It looks as though you have a very nice place there in Andalusia. Reminds me a LOT of California! I guess that's why the Spaniards liked California so much, eh?

Anyway, fascinating information... It will take a while to absorb it all!

It will also take a while for me and my abysmal French to wade through those websites...

Allons!

Gordon

[Peter Bosman]

[Jean Thibodeau]

[Gordon Frye]

[Peter Bosman]

Interesting painting of King Gustavus II Adolphus in the year 1631(30-year war) that is surprisingly accurate even to the point of the absence of his light armoury.



Selle-a-piquer, two fontes de pistoliers, short rapier, light armour and the archetypical a-la-brida (bravante) seat.



Same King after the same battle.

HC

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

Here's a photo of the English King's Champion's saddle and equipment. Its from the mid-18th Century, but definitely harkens back to the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Also the man and horse equipment shown in John Cruso's "Militarie Instructions for the Caval'rie" from 1632, showing the same basic saddle. (Sorry for the small size, my larger copy wouldn't attach to the post).

Cheers!

Gordon

[Peter Bosman]

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

I've been lusting after the Portuguese Royal Saddle for some time now... one of these days, when I get a spare 2K euro's I can blow, I'll be getting one!

For now, the standard Portuguese saddle will have to do, however.

Here's a picture of a restored Italian arming saddle ("sillas de armas") made in the 16th Century.

Allons!

Gordon

[Peter Bosman]

Wow, THAT - IS - BEAUTIFULL!!

Fortunately Gordon, for all but outright jousting the lower front and rear supports on the portugesa are a lot more practical and for all but display and renaissance-style streched forward legs the thy rolls on the roll are a pain in the..... thy.
For good reason all portugese rejoneadores use a standard portugesa.
The portugesa is also a lot more forgiving as to riding style than say the malibaud ecuyer, therefor not a bad choice. No, not a bad choice AT ALL!
Now, if ypu nevertheless covet the royale as a second saddle, look out for one used. Like the ecuyer, they do turn up occasionally. This Deuber is on ebay right now



Peter

[Gordon Frye]

[Peter Bosman]

[Gordon Frye]

Bravo, Peter. Always best to get exactly what you want, even if you have to make it yourself.

[Peter Bosman]

Well Gordon, just took a peek at the site of the Middlesex people and by gawd that German shooter is jaw dropping!!!!

Maybe I will drop by the local hunting headman to ask much rolls of red tape one needs and knowing spanish burocracy it will a mighty box full of rolls.
I am not a stickler for the rules but it is simply impossible to buy the basics without a license over here.

What is the 'height' of your cannon btw. From underside trigger guard to top hammer in its lowest positon. After all
I have made my holster to hold a bottle, not a gun

Oh and my horses are just about bomb proof. The town bode lóves to shoot réally loud 'rockets' up at every opportunity. Originally those were meant to inform the people in the countryside of an upcoming important event in the village. You can hear the boom clearly up to some 5 miles away. He will launch them whenever, wherever, however, thus also say 20 feet behind your horse.
Also they are used to local hunters shooting and those are a whole lot louder than bp gun.
The will sure enough need to get used to thát specific raket but they will

The name of he village is 'Villanueva del Trabuco' and 'trabuco' means blunderbuss. I guess about half the town has a replica hanging on the wall
If there is ANY town where you should be able to ride with flintlock pistols in you holsters it would be this one.
Now the legend is that the name originates from a resettled catholic Dutch inkeeper seeing off local 'badoleros' with a trabuco some three centuries ago. Being of Dutch origins that should practically give the ríght to should it not

Peter

[Gordon Frye]

Peter;

That's a GREAT story! "Dutch Innkeeper defies local bandito's with Blunderbuss"! I agree, it pretty much guarantee's that you should be able to have one, and carry it throughout the countryside on your travels! We'll just hope that the local guardia civil agree's with us...

I know that in MOST parts of the world, the regulations on black powder arms are significantly less obtrusive than for more modern arms, so we can hope that Spain is no different in that regard. (Not many folks are interested in loading up a flintlock to try to take on the local gendarmes, who are usually armed with sub-machine guns, I would imagine.) But there are also other options. I believe that Middlesex Village folks can do this, and I know that the people at Loyalist Arms in Canada as a matter of course do, but you can have most of the flintlocks shipped to you without the touch-hole (connecting the flash-pan with the main charge) being drilled out. No touch-hole, not legally a firearm, since it's just a piece of pipe in a wooden stock at that point. So that might be an option if the red tape is too cumbersome to wade through. Send either folks an email, I'm sure they'd love to help you out.

And indeed, with that much racket going on in your village, I guess your horses ARE pretty well bomb-proof! Mine don't particularly enjoy the rockets and fireworks of the Fourth of July here, nor New Year's, but get through it. I've shot off of my big boy Woody, but he get's figetty when I start pulling out pistols and cocking them, though. We're working on it, slow but sure...

Oh, on my "English Lock Pistol", the distance from the top of the screw on the "cock" to the bottom of the trigger guard is just shy of 6" (about 15cm). I hope this is of some help in determining if one will fit in your holster!

Good luck!

Cheers,

Gordon