Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[John Conyard]

Good morning to one and all,

I enjoy occasionally reading this discussion, especially for the infomation on the Taifali. I appreciate I probably annoy many by stating that the Taifali were a late Roman cavalry regiment, proably brigaded with the Honoriani Seniores, rather than a wandering eastern tribe. But you all hapilly turn a blind eye to my efforts.

I fear I have little time for kings and the possible etymology of names. Less in story telling or wild romanticism. But the period is a fascinating one and we have enough genuine achaeology and history to start basing theories.

But my primary interest is in the cavalry themselves, their horses and equipment. I like to imagine Britons and Anglo-Saxons breeding their ponies carefully for bravery and speed. And training them daily for war.

Currently I'm lucky to get two hours a week training a small nervous stallion for this coming season. After three months he still could not do a Comitatus show. He is getting there but will need lots more work. I normally ache and feel exhausted from working him even this hard. The thought of training horses daily is equally marvellous and terrible at the same time.

Anyway, let us veer away from the king lists and story lines, and concentrate to the cavalry of the period.