Interested in Roman Riding?

[John Conyard]

They are two geldings actually

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

They definately hold the show together!! :wink:

[Robert]

Oh RATS! Sorry, ladies, please accept my humble apologies. I did break a lance for them a good while back in a heated discussion on female participation in the re-enactment scene, so I am pretty sure they will forgive me this “slip of the chip”.
Jurjen is sure to have taken notice of all things shown, so the Roman cavalry of the Mid Roman period may ride the Batavian soil once more soon.

[jvrjenivs]

There indeed are much things going on here, at the moment, so I'm getting slowly more convinced we will possibly have it up and running, sooner as expected. Thanks again for all the comments. My stay with Comitatus will be in my mind!

[John Conyard]

I've done a sort of progress report of where we are up to which can be found at

http://comitatus.net/cavalrypart4.html

The winter is a time to experiment on different horses, let other members of the group have some fun, and keep things ticking over.

[Vindex]

Very interesting read, thanks John.

Any update on the saddles at all? Are you still looking at providing them at Christmas time?

(I am debating whether to buy any heating oil or not depending on your answer!! )

[Robert]

Great read, John! Very inspiring and instructive, too.

Thanks a lot for the time and enthousiasme. We are considering Haflinger horses, I am not familiar with the cob horse myself, but I am sure Jurjen will work that out.

[John Conyard]

Cheers guys,

Over the summer everything gets better, but now we are like a ship that has been decommissioned. The crew are lying around getting fat and the kit is forgotten about.

Vindex, I am constantly worried that the saddle enterprise will hit problems or issues, especially over the new construction methods. But so far so good and the first versions should role out by the end of September. Fingers crossed. So buy a cloak and forget about the heating oil.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Good news, I hopeyou have few problems John.

Very interesting reads, thanks for the link.

[jvrjenivs]

I've done a sort of progress report of where we are up to which can be found at

http://comitatus.net/cavalrypart4.html

The winter is a time to experiment on different horses, let other members of the group have some fun, and keep things ticking over.

Thanks for writing another interesting article John. Your experiences really help me going off with the project. Will have a look at two possible warhorses-to-be later this week

[Vindex]

Cheers guys,

Over the summer everything gets better, but now we are like a ship that has been decommissioned. The crew are lying around getting fat and the kit is forgotten about.

Vindex, I am constantly worried that the saddle enterprise will hit problems or issues, especially over the new construction methods. But so far so good and the first versions should role out by the end of September. Fingers crossed. So buy a cloak and forget about the heating oil.

Cloak duly unearthed...along with some very un-Roman long johns!!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I've been sleeping in mine for years now....they are great! And having more than one can beof use too, lol.

[John Conyard]

The first saddles are arriving this Friday. They will be two different interpretations of the same thing, and we are learning a great deal which will help future production. Things are looking really good for the Christams orders.

Jurjen, it sounds great fun looking at two possible horses. Today I'm taking Simon our ex trainee jockey down to the yard for a spin on a horse. It's is nice, cold and wet

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, he should be used to that then. :lol: Sounds like the perfect weather down there.
Good luck wit hyour horses Jurjen.

[John Conyard]

Well the new saddles have arrived and designs are being offered for sale <!-- l <a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=29931#p270488">viewtopic.php?f=16&t=29931#p270488<!-- l

This is all exciting stuff and everybody is very happy. They do look very good.

But poor old Hal has retired to a field full of grss for the winter and needs a long rest before he is worked again. Which leaves me a bit bereft.

I have spent some time training Cookie, a great little horse around 14.3. He is willing, responsive, jumps for fun, and is very nervous. I think in some ways he will make a great Roman horse, if he can overcome his fear of the equipment. Jurjen, you saw me sit on thos horse for the first time when you came down to the yard and Byron saw him soon afterwards. You can control his speed with your legs, and he listens to what I want. But if my quiver hits him in the wrong place on his side we are off, at speed, looking for fences to jump.

But it would be nice to ride a horse that just does what I want it to for a change.