Best source for 28mm horses for my late roman riders?

[Spooktalker]

I'm in need of horses for some Gripping Beast late roman riders I picked up. Can you recommend a source for something that's a good balance of quality and cost? I think my ideal size is that of Footsore, though I'm willing to do plastic ones, which seem to be generally a bit larger, or at least wider.

Seems Gripping Beast plastic sets are among the least expensive options, especially with the multi-box deal they offer. However, the necks seem a bit wonky as others have pointed out, and they seem a bit large compared to Footsore.

So, I'm considering the Conquest Games norman knights set, which yields 15 horses per box. The sculpts seem a bit better a bit smaller than Gripping Beast, Fireforge, Perry etc, though perhaps a similar height to Footsore, and wider than metal horses. I think this is the leading choice at the moment, and with shipping to me in the US they would come to about $2.25/horse, putting them among the cheapest options.

Another option is Aventine. They offer metal horses without riders, though they'd be more expensive than the plastic option, and seem a bit smaller than the Footsore metals.

Neither Gripping Beast nor Footsore seems to offer riderless horses in their web store, but perhaps would sell me some if I write them. But I'm a bit doubtful they'd be an economical option. Or maybe there is another company I'm not thinking of. Have any experience and recommendations?

Another option is Victrix. They'd be a bit more expensive than the Conquest or Gripping Beast. They even have plans to release late roman cavalry in 2022, I think, and I'm not in a great hurry.

Another option would be to find someone with spare horses to sell. Perhaps there are those out there who have opted to put metal riders on plastic horses for consistency and have metal horses lying around. Do you think it's worth is placing want adds?

[GerryB21]

What about the Victrix EIR horse sprues on Ebay ?

[SJWi]

Spooktalker, you need to be pretty careful in matching horses to figures. I don't know which Gripping beast figures you have but I actually games with my Romano-British only yesterday which includes some of the Romans. I was struck at how wide the Gripping Beast horses were, and consequently how the cavalry had been modelled to fit. If you choose a slimmer horse type they might not fit neatly and I don't think any amount of effort could make them sit properly. Another option could be the horses produced by A&A Miniatures. He produces a range of 4th century Romans and although sold as packs he is pretty good at selling exactly what you want.

Worth putting an ad in the Bazarre of Obscurities albeit I do recall a similar one a few months ago that didn't seem to get much of a response.     

[vodkafan]

I found a great source of horses from A&A Miniatures. You can buy them in separate packs without riders. They do Late Roman and lots of other types. Also it didn't break the bank.

Aventine horses, sorry to say, are a disappointment in my opinion. Simply too small. I bought the A&A horses to directly remount  my Aventine Roman Cavalry.
 

[bluewillow]

I second A&A I used them to remount quite a few of my figures.

Cheers
Matt

[Atheling]

You're not looking at anything more than 14 hands so smaller horses would have been the norm for most Roman cavalry units.

[SJWi]

Spooktalker, the A&A horses can be bought in packs of three for £3.85 which is pretty good value. They are listed under  "accessories" on his website. At present he is running an offer on cavalry of "get a 4th figure for free in a pack of 3" so you may get an even better deal!

Regards 

[Spooktalker]

SJWi, Atheling, bluewillow, vodkafan, and GerryB21, thank you so much! I am in your debt! The suggestion of A&A sounds like a winner!  You guys made my day, as this is a better option than I had hoped for. Happy new year!

That is great to know the A&A are bigger than the Aventine ones, and they seem like a perfect fit for my riders, and the price is right, especially this month! I'll see if the 4 for 3 offer applies, but even if not, they have a discounted shipping offer this month which is also a help, and the price is very good in any case. And an excuse to sneak in some more figures in the order, perhaps.... 

Spooktalker, you need to be pretty careful in matching horses to figures.   

Thanks, good advice. The GB ones are a wide stance. While the A&A ones are shown from the side, they look chunky and I'm willing to chunk them out a bit more if necessary with greenstuff.

What about the Victrix EIR horse sprues on Ebay ?

Thanks, looks like a great suggestion! I took a look and there don't seem to be any up at the moment, at least on the US ebay site (I'm in the US). And given the good price of the A&A ones, I think I will grab the opportunity to match metal with metal giving a slight edge in preference for style consistency.

You're not looking at anything more than 14 hands so smaller horses would have been the norm for most Roman cavalry units.

Thank you! Another reason to go with A&A over some of my other considerations.

[SJWi]

Spooktalker, I've just been checking my figures. The A&A and Gripping beast cavalrymen are pretty much the same size, but the A&A horses are a tad smaller.  However I don't think you will get a perfect match with any other manufacturer . I  bought A&A figures about 15 years ago and relooked at them back in 2020 . The result were new  Palmyran and 3rd century Roman armies . A very good company to deal with.