08-14-2006, 03:51 PM
As the queen of "involuntary dismounts", it depends on how the horse is going down and how secure you are to begin with. Usually, if a horse is going down, you are going down with it and your best chance is to roll clear. If there are guys all around you, chances are you'll land on top of something sharp and pointy. Most of the time, it happens so fast that you are on the ground before you know it.
Plus with the 4 pomels, you'll have a harder time swinging clear as you've got to get your leg over them in order to clear the horse. With a modern english saddle, you can basically grab mane, drop your stirrups, and flip your right leg over the horse as you push yourself clear. You have to be pretty well balanced to land on your feet. Your horse can't be at a dead gallop as inertia is NOT your friend at this point. (Remember, as you are sliding off, you are still going at the same speed as the horse so sticking a landing at 15+ mph is nearly impossible and even if you do, you'll probably end up breaking a leg or two.)
Movie horses are trained to always fall to the left. (Movies produced under the current SPCA regs as a lot of the old Westerns just tripped the horses, which is also easy to spot.) The saddles usually have a rubber stirrup on that side so it doesn't hurt the horse. The riders also know how to roll away from the horse and tell the horse when to fall so they can prepare. You don't have that luxury in battle.
A modern comparison would be like riding a bike that is starting to go out of control. How many times have you managed to jump off a bike that is getting away from you and landed securely enough to keep fighting? Could you do it if you were carrying a shield and a spear or a spatha?
Plus with the 4 pomels, you'll have a harder time swinging clear as you've got to get your leg over them in order to clear the horse. With a modern english saddle, you can basically grab mane, drop your stirrups, and flip your right leg over the horse as you push yourself clear. You have to be pretty well balanced to land on your feet. Your horse can't be at a dead gallop as inertia is NOT your friend at this point. (Remember, as you are sliding off, you are still going at the same speed as the horse so sticking a landing at 15+ mph is nearly impossible and even if you do, you'll probably end up breaking a leg or two.)
Movie horses are trained to always fall to the left. (Movies produced under the current SPCA regs as a lot of the old Westerns just tripped the horses, which is also easy to spot.) The saddles usually have a rubber stirrup on that side so it doesn't hurt the horse. The riders also know how to roll away from the horse and tell the horse when to fall so they can prepare. You don't have that luxury in battle.
A modern comparison would be like riding a bike that is starting to go out of control. How many times have you managed to jump off a bike that is getting away from you and landed securely enough to keep fighting? Could you do it if you were carrying a shield and a spear or a spatha?
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Deb
Sulpicia Lepdinia
Legio XX
Deb
Sulpicia Lepdinia
Legio XX
