augustean cavalary sword

[munazio planco]

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reconstruction of augustean cavalary spatha,whit decoration of thenscabbard inspired to the famous gladius of kalkriese.

[Robert]

Nice!!! What is the inlay material on the scabbrad fittings? Did you cast these?

[Charlie]

Wonderful work again PierPaolo.

[munazio planco]

hello

Robert the fittings are in brass and i did by hand whit rasp!!!! now I am preparing the original kalkriese sword and for this I did the fittings in cast and in full silver.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Voonderbar!! :-)

[Vindex]

Stele from cavalrymen from evidence in the UK depict the rider holding his shield in the left hand, and one could argue that the shield shape is anything from oval to rectangular. This may be due to the artist's representation or availability of stone (or even money!) for the rendering of a true depiction of what was usual.

Longinus (Colchester) shows his reins across the horse's neck and plausibly held in the left hand with the shield (although long reins, he still has a contact with the horse's mouth).

Flavinus (Hexham) and Insus of the Treveri (my favourite UK stele and knoiwn as the Lancaster Rider) appears to show dropped reins but still a contact on the horse's mouth...which could be (once again) artist's impression or something as simple as a knot in the reins to stop them falling out of reach when the rider's hands are otherwise full of sword/spear and shield.

Bassus and Capito, stele found in Germany, seem to reflect the Longinus design and show the reins on the horse's neck, possibly held in the left hand.

So, you have a choice. Either loose contact with the horse's mouth and the reins in your fingers at the very end of their length (as demonstrated by Hyland in her book Equus) or you go for dropped reins and a horse trained to be responsive to the rider's knee and his seat in the saddle.

If you favour the latter interpretation, we are then in the realms of discussing the characteristics of the saddle - wooden tree or not wooden tree - because one will allow you to feel the horse's back through the saddle and one won't (wooden tree). This is also influenced by HOW the wooden tree saddle is made as there are lots of modern saddles with wooden tree which allow for the horse to feel the rider's signs (aids) through his back.

The difference is, from a horseman's perspective, that one can use the tensing of the back and the buttocks as a sign (or aid) to the horse to slow down and even stop without having to add pressure to the horse's mouth; but in order to do this, the saddle must allow the horse to feel this subtle change in the rider's position. If one's horse cannot feel this change it will carry on regardless and require the more unsubtle pull on the reins through the bit in the mouth (or through more poll/nose pressure via a bitless hackamore) which makes the horse react in a different way and requires at least one hand on the reins.

If this is the preferred method, I would suggect that the types of bits we see in the archaeological record indicate that a very , very light touch on the reins would be neede as the pressure conveyed to the horse through the reins is VERY strong and requires light, careful hands. This is why many people condemn the Roman bits as severe but I would argue that there are direct comparisons in the modern equestrian sports of reining (Western style riding), show jumping (quick response and high level of control for quick corners on the course) and polo (quick reponse to reduction of speed).

[Vindex]

Oooooh! That's nice

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I need some scabbards for mine!