Blessi and the Lewis Chessmen Blanket

I am asking Blessi to walk on to compete at the
ring joust.--hence my slightly forward seat.

One of the knights from the Lewis Chessmen--Wikipedia

My persona in the SCA Jófriđr Mánadőttir is of course a woman living in Iceland around 1100.  I am trying to create more historically accurate garb and tack.  For the latest tournament, I made a saddle blanket inspired by the Lewis Chessmen.  The blanket is blue wool with a card -oven braid in red and greens and yellow.

Found on a Scottish island in 1831, these ivory chesspieces were carved in Norway or Iceland (academics are still debating the source) in the 1100s.  

Is this pacey, trotty or clear tolt?

 
Difference Between Pace, Stepping Pace, and Smooth Gait (updated 2014) from Ivy Schexnayder on Vimeo.

Ivey Schexnayder speicalizes in the training of gaited horses with a background in "trick training, natural dressage, classical dressage, endotapping, and clicker training."   She created this video and graciously said that I could feature it on Blessiblog.  Here she shows--in slow motion and normal speed--showing how to determine the difference between:

- pace (pacey tolt)                    -- Beat starting with left hind is 1 - 2 - - 3 - 4
- stepping pace (trotty tolt)      --  Beat is                                    1 - - 2 - 3 - - 4
- clear beat gait or rack or tolt --  Beat is                                    1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Note flying pace in the Icelandic horse is a totally different gait in which the hooves on the same side of the horse strike the ground almost simultaneously. 

If you are thinking of buying a gaited horse or starting to evaluate your own horse's gait to determine how to improve it, you will appreciate this video.

Ivey has more help available at her web site at:  http://www.ivyshorses.com/

Keep in mind that how even the beat of the tolt/rack is can be impacted by many factors at that point in time such as amount of training, natural ability, quality of training, age of horse, conformation of horse, etc.  Very often a good trainer can help you improve the quality of the gait of your horse.

I wish FEIF or USIHC would create some educational videos like this.

Icelandic Horses in the Peasant Revolt of 1381 Dcoumentary

In 1381, peasants revolted in multiple areas in Britain possibly due to high taxes, discontent with the recent Hundreds Year war, and social unrest after the Black Death.  Ok, there probably weren't any Icelandic horses in the Peasant Revolt of 1381 in England.  However, ambling horses of a certainty would have been ridden.

Mike Loades hosted a documentary for the BBC on the Peasants' Revolt. In it, riders rode heavy draft breeds to re-create the route the rebels took.  For only one day, they switched to Icelandic horses, representing the amblers of the time.  Interestingly they covered more ground and in much more comfort than when riding the larger horses.  You can view this segment from 45:38 to 48:30 below.