The Armour Archive

Saw this on the local craigslist saddle sort of reminds me of some I've seen in museums.

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/grd/2019497281.html

Thomas

And they're VERY comfy to ride in!

Cheers!

Gordon

I have been looking at those for riding but they seem easier to get hold of on your side of the pond than they are in merry old England for some reason.

There was a stunning young lady using one in the last episode of Merlin to be shown over here.

Craig

Craig;

Check out the German-language version of Ebay. For some reason there are lots of them there. What with EU regs and such you shouldn't have any difficulties in getting one from there. I also suspect most of the posters speak at least some English, so communications ought not be too much of a problem either.

Of course you could always break down and order one direct from Portugal or Spain, too...

Cheers!

Gordon

There is a German language E-bay, wow I will have a look at that.

Thanks

Craig

Jeff Hedgecock I believe has purchased used saddles when over in Europe to bring back.

Search the term:
Sela Portugesa, Spanish Bullfighting saddle, Portuguese bull fighting saddle, etc...

http://www.selalusitana.com/

http://www.portugalweb.pt/selas-portuguesas.html

http://www.horsefire.pt/index.php?act=v ... ductId=384

http://www.dressage-equipment.de/de/dept_1.html


If you buy through eBay, know what you're buying. I've seen a lot of saddle tragedies, especially for side saddles: Based on English saddles, balance girth pointed in the wrong direction, leaping horn attached in the wrong place, center line (off center). Many made of cheap leather, etc... etc...

Hope it doesn't derail the thread to ask this, but . . .

What little of Portuguese bullfighting that I know is all on foot. I've seen mounted banderilleros on one occasion, and of course the picadores of the classic Spanish bullfight, but I don't know anything about mounted Portuguese bullfighting. Could someone enlighten me . . . ?

Zaldi and Ludomar are the the two big name manufacturers of those saddles over in Spain. They have websites and should be easier to get in Europe than here.

Per Portuguese bullfighting, there are the two kinds, bloodless (as practiced in the US and Canada) and the real thing, practiced in Portugal, the Azores, etc.

First are a couple of videos showing serious horsemanship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AD4CPH6 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2VdwqY0WQU&NR=1

And for just pure cool horsemanship and a phenomenal horse, Merlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgG_Gwy7Ysg&feature=fvw

As far as the footmen go, to say "Them Fokkers vas crazy" would be a mild understatement...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naIew8UX ... re=related

All very cool, very traditional. I love how the horsemen wear classical 18th Century clothing for the fight.

Cheers!

Gordon

I think the primary diff between Spanish and Portuguese bullfighting is that the rider and horse are the rock stars in Portuguese, where as the Spanish put the emphasis on the Matador.

Gordon beat me to it. Watch the video of Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Merlin. That is one amazing team.

While I don't often cite Wikipedia, they do have some good basic info on Bullfighting.

It's awesome that we actually have two riding schools in our area that offer classical training on highly trained schoolmasters, and that both owners are accomplished riders, have Lusitanos, and are both from Portugal. One grew up around the bull rings of Portugal.

Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza is one of my heroes.

It is well worth the time and effort to explore his web page (linked above) his horsemanship and courage is almost unbelievable.

Tom

Having seen that, I realize that the "mounted banderillero" I saw in the movie was the Portuguese style of mounted bullfight.

And though I'm not entirely a fan of the corrida, those horses and riders are amazing to watch.

The tack we use for medieval pursuits is almost exclusively spanish. Jeff buys most of our tack from Europe, and only Zaldi or Ludomar.

Just stum,bled accross this this morning

http://deuber-partner.com/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=48
Check out the Schulsattel

Watched the videos and read that wiki about Bullfighting. So beautiful and then I come the the line "Prior to 1930, the horse did not wear any protection, and the bull would usually disembowel the horse during this stage." Kinda disturbing.

Horses are still killed in the bull rings; even with protection.