03-10-2004, 01:05 AM
Thank you to Dan and everyone else.<br>
<br>
Dan, if you do get a saddle, please put me first on the list. I will definitley buy one. I am working on a Sassanian Heavy Cavalry suite, and the saddle is one of the hardest things to find. If Deepeeka makes a few, please contact me directly. I would love to buy one or two.<br>
<br>
[email protected] <br>
<br>
As for the Sassanian Saddle. There were a few types of Saddles used in the Sassanian armies. I have stood at the wall carvings at Tagi Bustan and Naghsi Rustam and seen them in person. The four horned saddle is used by many of the early Sassanian kings like Ardeshir and Shapur and it is clearly visible in the wall carvings. In fact, its visible on many of the other battle freezes and coronation freezes. The other form of saddle that was used is exactly like the McClelland Saddles. In fact, the McClelland saddle is a copy of the old war saddles. So, it is with minor alterations that the base saddle can me made to look like many of the saddles used by the Persians, Romans and the like. Finally the other saddle that I noticed is a much more refined and elaborate saddle as that pictured on the Tagi Bustan picture. For lack of a better description, it is a much more refined and elegant version of the McClelland. Much lower profile with lower pommel and cantle. More cirular as well in the pommel and cantel and more ornate.<br>
<br>
As for the horses and their sizes. Much of the Roman writings regarding their confrontations with the Parthians and Sassanians mentions the Roman fear and Hesitation in confronting the Heavy Cavalry of that region because of the much larger horses. When they refer to the much larger horses, they are referring to horses that topped out at 15.2 to 15.3 hands. The light Cavalry and medium Cavalry and Horse Archers also ranged between 14.3 to 15.3 hands. Having said that, in the east, the Romans eventually employed many of the local and local equipment and tactics into their ranks to be able to confront this eastern problem. Hence the evolution of the Heavy Roman Cataphract which resembles almost identically the Sassanian Cataphract. In fact, it is very easy to assume that many were infact peoples of those regions employed by the Romans, in Roman fashion.<br>
<br>
On a side note, many of those wall carvings and grotto carvings are beyond explanation. No photo, can in anyway explain the size and enormous example of them and the detail in them. I studied the bridles, saddles the armor very carefully and took very careful note of them. Saw many actual Sassanian and Parthian artifacts in person and let me tell you, they are unbelievable. Especially the Swords. A sword, dagger and horses bit are in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. I highly recommend you see them if you have a chance. They are unbelievable examples.<br>
<br>
Anyway, Dan, if you could please contact me directly, I would love to pursue this option with Deepeeka as well. I have Peter Connolly's specifications on the saddle. But before making one myself. Id like to pursue the Deepeeka option first. Peters sent me the article on how to make it. Its quite a process. Very simple yet extremely complicated.<br>
<br>
Ardeshir Radpour<br>
[email protected] <p></p><i></i>
<br>
Dan, if you do get a saddle, please put me first on the list. I will definitley buy one. I am working on a Sassanian Heavy Cavalry suite, and the saddle is one of the hardest things to find. If Deepeeka makes a few, please contact me directly. I would love to buy one or two.<br>
<br>
[email protected] <br>
<br>
As for the Sassanian Saddle. There were a few types of Saddles used in the Sassanian armies. I have stood at the wall carvings at Tagi Bustan and Naghsi Rustam and seen them in person. The four horned saddle is used by many of the early Sassanian kings like Ardeshir and Shapur and it is clearly visible in the wall carvings. In fact, its visible on many of the other battle freezes and coronation freezes. The other form of saddle that was used is exactly like the McClelland Saddles. In fact, the McClelland saddle is a copy of the old war saddles. So, it is with minor alterations that the base saddle can me made to look like many of the saddles used by the Persians, Romans and the like. Finally the other saddle that I noticed is a much more refined and elaborate saddle as that pictured on the Tagi Bustan picture. For lack of a better description, it is a much more refined and elegant version of the McClelland. Much lower profile with lower pommel and cantle. More cirular as well in the pommel and cantel and more ornate.<br>
<br>
As for the horses and their sizes. Much of the Roman writings regarding their confrontations with the Parthians and Sassanians mentions the Roman fear and Hesitation in confronting the Heavy Cavalry of that region because of the much larger horses. When they refer to the much larger horses, they are referring to horses that topped out at 15.2 to 15.3 hands. The light Cavalry and medium Cavalry and Horse Archers also ranged between 14.3 to 15.3 hands. Having said that, in the east, the Romans eventually employed many of the local and local equipment and tactics into their ranks to be able to confront this eastern problem. Hence the evolution of the Heavy Roman Cataphract which resembles almost identically the Sassanian Cataphract. In fact, it is very easy to assume that many were infact peoples of those regions employed by the Romans, in Roman fashion.<br>
<br>
On a side note, many of those wall carvings and grotto carvings are beyond explanation. No photo, can in anyway explain the size and enormous example of them and the detail in them. I studied the bridles, saddles the armor very carefully and took very careful note of them. Saw many actual Sassanian and Parthian artifacts in person and let me tell you, they are unbelievable. Especially the Swords. A sword, dagger and horses bit are in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. I highly recommend you see them if you have a chance. They are unbelievable examples.<br>
<br>
Anyway, Dan, if you could please contact me directly, I would love to pursue this option with Deepeeka as well. I have Peter Connolly's specifications on the saddle. But before making one myself. Id like to pursue the Deepeeka option first. Peters sent me the article on how to make it. Its quite a process. Very simple yet extremely complicated.<br>
<br>
Ardeshir Radpour<br>
[email protected] <p></p><i></i>
