Advice on a horse for the Good Wife of Paris for the pleasure of Hawking

While researching numerous equestrian oriented topics, a work that I came across, but had only heard of in regard to culinary pursuits was The Goodman of Paris (Le Menagier de Paris, 1393), a domestic guide book that was written for a fifteen year old bride of a wealthy, bourgeois, Parisian man. Like many marriages of the middle ages, the man was no doubt many years, if not decades her senior, so at times the document might sound condescending, but I tend to think of it as more of a fatherly tone as he advises a daughter about life and the management of a household.

Having received Eileen Powers version, much to my dismay, the section regarding the care and selection of horses was not included. Greatly disappointed, but not deterred, I went in search of Le Menagier de Paris. And what should I find but a newly printed work by Gina L. Greco and Christine M. Rose titled The Good Wife's Guide. It contains a similar translation with the major difference, it was complete and contained the portion that was of keen interest to me, mainly that dealing with Horses, which I will not go into any detail here.

My primary goal for this entry is the gentleman’s advice on the pleasures of hawking and the type of horse required.

3.2 Hawking Treatise

1. Item, To complete what I earlier promised you , my dear, I place hereafter what I know about being an austringer and the art of hawking, so that in the hunting season you can divert yourself with this pursuit if you so choose. To begin with, you must know that, for the season, a good austringer readies 9 dogs and three horses for hawking, if he wishes to continue and perform well the duties of the occupation....I will treat later when I speak of hunting with hawks. But here in the beginning, I will first deal with dogs and then horses,...(pg. 233)

5. Item, you must be equipped with a small horse, easy to mount and dismount frequently, calm to ride, and not too lively, does not squirm, or buck, or bolt, or do anything to hamper the sparrow hawk’s return to the gauntlet. The horse must remain quiet and immobile when waiting for its master to mount or dismount. (pg. 235)

Some might recall my earlier entry regarding the Fatal Ride of Mary of Burgundy. She was hawking. I don’t know what manner of horse she rode, but the outcome of her hunt was tragic. Her horse shied and Mary fell from the horse's back and was trampled. She died several days later from the wounds that she received. Was her horse spirited? I'm not certain, however, it did buck according to the accounts.

It seems that then, as now, ones level of horsemanship and the activity in which one wishes to engage, must be evenly matched. I suspect that given his young wife’s age and most likely her level of horsemanship might have something to do with the advice on a “less spirited” horse. Recognizing the potential for danger, even today, we train our horses, so that no matter the discipline or activity, they stand quietly and calmly for the mount.

Books references:
The Good Wife’s Guide by , 2009 (complete translation in English)
The Goodman of Paris by Eileen Powers, 2006

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Reading for the 'Medieval' Horsewoman

This is a suggested reading list for those riders interested in historical (a.k.a.-"classical") horsemanship. Whilst several of the books pertain to the topic of 'side saddle', several others are about horsemanship in general or its equipment. There are also other books listed here regarding archaeological finds that are relevant to the rider and the accessories and textiles that might make up a medieval riding habit.

I have included two pattern books. The first, 'The Medieval Tailor's Assistant', with which I have personal experience. It is a good book and the author does a good job of providing contemporary images to back up her pattern designs. One of the caveats is that you will have to know something about sewing, and the making of muslins, and have the ability to tweak the patterns to fit your body. The other issue is that you have to be good at metric conversion or fluent in working with metrics patterns. (If not, try this conversion tool.)

The second is the 'Tudor Tailor' with which I have no practical experience. However, it seems to have very high reviews. I have provided it solely as a jump point for women seeking to ride in a Tudor Habit.

Side Saddle:

• Side-Saddle by Doreen Archer Houblon, London, Country Life (1938)*
• The Saddle of Queens by Lida Fleitmann Bloodgood, J.A. Allen & Company (1959)
• The Fair Lady Aside Her Saddles and Habits by Mary L. Thomas, Private Printing (1993)

* Mrs. Houblon's book has been reprinted, but I have been told that the later editions of this book are missing some key bits of information and that if the reader can obtain a copy of the 1938 printing, that it is the book that they should acquire before later editions.

Artifacts and Archaeology:

• Textiles and Clothing, 1150 - 1450
• Dress Accessories
• Shoes and Pattens

Horses and Horsemanship:

• The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, 1150 - 1450
• Livro da Ensinana de Bem Cavalgar Toda Sela by Dom Duarte, King of Portugal (1438)
• English Adaptation of Bem Cavalgar, by Antonio Franco Preto, (2006)
  

Pattern Books for Medieval and Renaissance Clothing:

• The Medieval Tailor's Assistant by Sarah Thursfield (2001)
  
• The Tudor Tailor by Ninya Mikhaila (2006)

Some of these books are exceptionally hard to find and their prices reflect this fact. I suggest inter-library loan or one of the following book search engines with which I have had tremendous success.

New and Used Book Search Engines:

• AbeBooks.com
• AddAll.com
  

Bon Chance!

Side Saddle: A Novice's Journey

I had been thinking about riding aside for a few years, but various reasons, the chief amongst them being the lack of an instructor, brought the idea to an abrupt whoa. Then one day, I don't remember if it was just a moral imperative after looking at a XVe century French manuscript depicting ladies arrayed in damask finery and riding palfreys aside, or a conversation with a friend of mine in our living history crowd, that spurred me on again. Needless to say, I was bitten by the blue tail fly, but instead of being bucked and pitched, I began searching in earnest for an instructor. I had to learn this style of riding.

My introduction to this elegant art of horsemanship began in December of 2006. After various searches, I found the NEA (New England Aside) Association and sent an email to them in hopes that they would have a member who could help me achieve my goal. Within a day, I was contacted by the organization's secretary and a dialog began. The NEA was very helpful and soon, after the long and seemingly fruitless searches, I finally had the name of an accomplished horsewoman not too far from my home that taught ladies the art of riding aside and access to a side saddle technician who was well versed in the history of the saddles and would bring various types of side saddles to my first lesson to show me how to check the fit and introduce me to the parts of the saddle.

Now some of you might be thinking, 'why on earth would anyone want to ride that way, isn't it dangerous?'. Well, read on, because I found myself wondering the same thing...about the dangerous part, but now...let's take a look at the first part of the "why" question.

Why on earth would anyone want to ride that way?

Well, the simplest answer is another question...why not?

Firstly, I am a historical interpreter, when not performing my real job as a UI Designer. My area of interest is XVe century Burgundy and France, that's the 15th century (1400-1499). I normally portray three roles depending on the need of the group. The first is a mounted archer -- this is an archer much akin to how we think of mobile artillery. I ride to the battlefield, dismount and join up with other archers and armed personnel of a Burgundian Lance of the Ordinance Companies of Charles the Bold, Duke of Valois Burgundy (1467 -1477)-- I would normally ride my horse astride for this portrayal. My next role is that of a middle class Burgundian merchant. For this role, I wear a full dress and can ride my horse astride, though this is deemed to be not very ladylike, and unlike the English ladies of Richard II's reign and before, the ladies on the continent had been riding aside for a very long time, as early as 1192 if some of the extant seals of noble women are accurate. My third portrayal is that of a lady of the lower nobility, and it is for these latter two portrayals that I found it necessary to ride aside. In historical re-enactment of the Middle Ages, it is an under represented part of the woman's equestrian portrayal.

The second 'why' has to do with physical issues. I'm about 5'-4" and I ride a 16h mare, who I lovingly refer to as La Belle Dame sans Merci (The beautiful lady without mercy). She is a heavy hunter with a round, wide barrel. This tends to cause knee and back stress for me. During my first lesson (I'll get to that in a future post), one of my instructors told me that a side saddle is a good saddle for relieving some of these issues. By not having to ride with a leg on either side, I don't have to practically split myself in half to ride, thus alleviating the stress across my lower back. Also, since I don't have to wrap my legs around a wine cask (my mare's barrel), I don't cause stress on my knees. So a side saddle has made it possible for people with different levels of physical impairment to be able to pursue riding again or for the very first time. And I have to tell you, that it is a wonderful thing.

So, there you have the 'why' of riding aside and the beginning of my tale. Next, I'll tell you where not to begin.