Pisanello Bit Completed

We've always wanted to have a medieval bit made for presentations and to further our understanding of the medieval riding experience, and to improve the overall impression in the field. After looking at several bits and some of the best renderings from artists of the time period, we settled on the drawings of Italian artist Antonio di Puccio Pisano (aka Pisanello d.1455).

This first image is a sketch that detailing the action of the bit and the horse's mouth. You see faint indications of the shank shape. The mouthpiece appears to be a thick snaffle type. You can also see a very simple leather or fabric "curb" with a 'T' connection that goes through one of the bit rings.

The next image gives a clearer view of the bit's shape, purchase, and connections. It also shows the almost ubiquitous bosses. You can also see another example of a curb "chain". In this case it looks like a leather/fabric type that has chain on the ends. You can also see the two types of reins and where they are connected.


When working with the professional bit maker here in the US, I submitted outlines and original images and after a brief exchange of functionality, a price was agreed upon (this is a custom bit). Within a day of the final drawings being submitted, the bit maker sent the next photo. It details the shank lengths and he was offering me a choice of which length I wanted to go with.



The original bit was supposed to be 8" inches to fall more in line with Normandie's 7 shank Myler. However, the image that we provided suggested that the bit in the original art was a little longer. So, after a quick discussion, we decided to go with the longer shanks.

This is the result, the complete bit.



From the time that we designed, discussed, and had the bit in hand was 3 business days. One of those was the shipping.

Side Saddle Fitting

Looking forward to having Sue and Gail up to do a saddle fitting and a lesson. I'm sure that Normandie won't appreciate having a "ladies" saddle on him, but we'll see. There are a few candidates and hopefully I will walk away with a saddle so that I can pick up my side saddle riding where I left off. I think we're trying a few models on him. Sue thinks that the STEELE "ENGLISH PLEASURE" will be the one. I can't recall if we're trying a Circle R on him. I'll be sure to have some pictures taken of the process. This is very exciting.

Pisanello Bit

In the process of examining medieval tack, I decided to focus briefly on bits. I'm currently having a 15th century style bit made for educational purposes and for historic interpretation. The design is based on examples of bits in the drawings of Antonio di Puccio Pisano (aka Pisanello). I'm also currently designing a Medieval style headstall for use with the bit. I hope to post pictures once the bit and headstall are finished.

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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Habit Forming Revisited

My "Woodvylle" hennin for the Fair Lady Aside.

This hennin was hand crafted by Kat of Kat's Hats in the UK. It is a lovely flowerpot hennin made of antique gold colored silk with goldwork and pearls. The edge is lined with black velvet and a lovely silk veil drapes over the wire supports.

The photo doesn't really do it justice, but it just another step closer to the proprely attired lady.

Six more weeks...

I would have been happier if they'd left "Phil" in his tree stump. Six more weeks of winter? (expletive deleted via self censorship). I have a wall of snow and ice walling the front of my house, courtesy of the town highway department, that can be seen from space. Six more weeks is NOT what I wanted to hear.

Ah well...here's to another six weeks.

A season?

The medieval humors would have me listed as "melancholy". While not really sad or depressed, I'm feeling a little solemn and reflective. 45 minute drives will do that to you, especially when you turn the radio off and your brain goes into thought overdrive.

I'm not sure how many readers are familiar with the "A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime", below is a run down...

"When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid spiritual foundation. Your challenge is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

Recently I've been giving it a lot of thought. I've known many people who have been transitory in my life, but recently, a friend who I had thought would be there for a lifetime has me rethinking that and I wonder if it is becoming more of a "seasonal" thing.

During a recent visit, it seemed that topics of conversation or at least ideas, seemed to be dismissed with only cursory thought. It's something that I noted a few years ago, but thought that it might be just one of those sojourns we all tend to go on when evaluating the sum of our lives thus far. One of the things, and it's probably silly, was that we were discussing a movie that was on TV, and I'd made some comment that I'd thought was innocuous, and they'd just muttered under their breath, loud enough for me to hear, "It's just a stupid movie".

I can't say why, but it really bothered me. It was like my opinion had no validity. I've noticed this more and more since they'd tested and were accepted into the top 98 percentile society. If you don't know what that means, look up the word "table" in Latin.

Things like this have been occurring for a while and it just makes me think that we've drifted apart over the years and that our ideological/religious, socio-political, and personal paths are only going to drive us further apart until one day, we'll just stop talking.

I thought about discussing it, but am not sure how I'd approach something like it. I just don't know. It just something that was really eating at me yesterday and I just needed to voice it to the ether.

End of rambling...