Seats of Empire title

Introduction

Ancient Saddles

Transitional Saddles

Medieval Saddles

Medieval / Renaissance saddles

Pack Saddles

Pectorals and Cruppers

Bridles

Complete panoplies

Clothing and Armour

Accessories, Diverse

Footwear

Examples of Riding

Markets and Events

Publications

Contact and Ordering


Clothing and Armour

A late antique riding coat based upon the graves of Antinoë. Accompanied by riding boots (See footwear page) and hat from the same source.

ancient riding coat

As such coats are commonly shown in contemporary art.

ancient riding coat

Worn as a coat with the lower sleeves turned back. See below for the whole of the armour.


A Byzantine arming coat based upon the description in the tenth-century military manual of Nikêforos Fôkas. Further views of this type of coat may be seen on the Accessories page.

Byzantine military riding coat

Showing the divisions in the skirt that facilitate riding.

Byzantine military riding coat

Representing a khoursôr (scout or skirmisher). Accompanied by belt-strapped riding boots shown in pictorial sources. (See footwear page)


Armour

For scale armour, see the Ribchester Roman Festival 2017 page.

For shields, see the Accessories page.

Lamellar is the ancient equestrian armour par excellence. Timothy Dawson is the foremost world expert on this form of armour, with a range of publications on the subject. The example shown below is the type carried into Europe by the Avars, based principally on the graves at Niederstotzingen and Krefeld-Gellep. The examples shown here (left picture) and on the archer are the middle Byzantine era descendants of that Avar form.

lamellar, Avar lamellar

Despite having no horizontal stabilisation the …

lamellar, Avar lamellar

skirts always reliably follow the leg movements.