Horses of the Guild

Horsing Around: The Horses of the Medieval Horse Guild

The stars of our group our the mounts we ride. Without our wonderful horses we'd be stuck on the ground hoofing it with only two legs. It is the special horses we ride that make our group possible. So what kinds of horses do a bunch of would-be medieval horsefolk ride?

Ours is a mixed bunch. The horse guild rides a variety of different breeds of horses. Some of our mounts trace their lineage back to authentic breeds of the middle ages, others are so-called modern breeds. It is important to note that as equestrians we value our mounts because of their individuality. Each of our horses have merits that are both confirmation and personality related. That's' what makes owning a horse special after all. Modern or ancient breed, horses are still bred to fulfill the same general roles today and our horses are an expression of each rider's preference in a horse. Here are some of the characters that we in the horse guild ride.

Some of our riders own and breed Friesian Horses, a heavy coal black warhorse that traces its' heritage back to the low countries of Europe. Friesians, with their high stepping gait and natural aristocratic presence just add a touch of elegance to what ever they do. Fritz and Lydeka are two of the Friesians who tolerate the antics of their riders. They have done many ring jousting events between them. When decked out in their Cavalier best, few of our horses look as impressive.

We have a pair of Morgan horses in the group. One, Midas is a nationally recognized dressage champion. He is big, beautiful and seems to know when he's in the spotlight. He and his rider have on several times created a sensation with their shows of classical dressage while both horse and rider are clad in Full Gothic Plate armor! His buddy is Chummy, who doesn't mind some of the activities of his rider too much.

We have some real solid troopers with our Appaloosas. Both are mares, and typical of the breed, they seem to act annoyed even when they are having a great time. Gabro is probably one of the most experienced warhorses in North America. She has been in Jousting tournaments and gaming shows for over a decade. She's been called a little black and white hornet. Small, furious and courageous. Shadowfax is another great old gal. She and her rider also have been doing Renaissance fairs and games for many years now. Their "Jump of Death" stunt at the Maryland Renaissance Fair has been a staple for many years. Proof that some of the best horses can come from humble beginnings, both were originally neglected animals that with love and care have repaid their owners many times over with outstanding performance. A newer member of the Appaloosa mafia is PC (Pocket Change). He got his name from his price (another rescue horse). He's a solid colored Appaloosa who is learning the ropes along with his rider. PC appeared in the Joan of Arc filming which was one of his first events. He can be stubborn, but he's a good horse with lots of potential.

There is one Arab in our group. His name is Hamdan and he's a very sweet natured little speckled gray fireball who's rider looks way too big for him. Nevertheless Hamdan has been in several film productions, tilted the rings and been in many Battle of Hastings reenactments over the years now. For a breed with a reputation for skittishness, he tolerates parades, screaming warriors and all kinds of things going on around him with remarkable aplomb. He and the next horse are inseparable buddies. He is the quarterhorse in our group. His name is Sonny Joe and he's a red dun whose owner likes to keep his mane roached to show off his lovely eel strip. Sonny is absolutely convinced nothing is worth getting excited about. It is hard to imagine Sonny upset at anything people do around him. Once a hack horse at a boy's camp, Sonny seems to have seen every weird thing people can do and gotten over it. Even in the midst of filming a scene from a television special on Joan of Arc when men in full plate armor around him beating each other into the ground, Sunny just took it all in stride.

Then there is Ajax. Ajax is big. Eighteen hands of Clydesdale crossed with Thoroughbred. He's as narrow as a fence and has feet like platters. Ajax is very well traveled, going to the Scarborough International Jousting Tournament in Texas for several consecutive years now. Ajax has always done well there too, never getting rattled or spooked even when his rider would suddenly fly out his seat and over his rear all the way down to the ground.

Count is a Palomino. He's a solid, reliable performer who's owner appreciates the solid qualities he has. Count doesn't get along well with strange horses, but he's well mannered with people and is a good horse to ride.

Past Members

No group that has been around awhile will forget the horses that have shared their lives in years past, but are no longer with us. Just for the memories some of us have I'll mention a few of the names of some of the great horses we've had the privilege of knowing.

Spartan- Anyone who ever saw him never forgot him. Spartan was an elegant Chestnut colored Morgan with a tremendous presence and a love for medieval shows. He was given to Barchan as his first horse and went on to teach him about professional jousting. Saraf- A Blood Bay gelding, Saraf was an Arabian who was patient and forgiving, kind and courageous. He taught me about riding when I was a bumbling beginner and took me into the world of horsemanship. His nephew is Hamdan. Magic (Magic Shoshone Fox)- Magic was a big Leopard Spotted Appaloosa mare. She was one of the first horses in the horse guild, and taught Markland about horses. Pal- Was a Palomino of course. A quiet and easy mannered gelding who rode through many battle reenactments and jousting events. Lor- This grand lady of horses is a coal black mustang. She was adopted through the BLM adopt a wild horse program as a range caught, eight year old mare. While her owner no longer participates in our group, Lor still teaches children and cleans up at local 4-H shows in southern Pennsylvania. Boris- A beautiful Buckskin gelding, Boris has been doing events since the middle of the last decade. He and his owner now reenact the 17th century and still occasionally come to our events. Job- Now semi retired in California. Job is a Sorrel, one eyed former range Quarterhorse. Job was another one of those horses who'd seen and done it all. Dolly, Delilah & Strider- These three are still around, just not with us. They are Percherons, big and black, with a slow measured stride and a no fuss attitude. They used to be a great sight at Amateur Jousting Events thundering down the list as their riders speared the rings.

There are others of course, but space and memory eludes me about some of our members. Horses and years tend to blur as the years go by.