Dipping into the Dark Ages

[PhilH]

Bjorn bearskin Viking Champion joins the growing raiding party.

[Harry Faversham]

Crikey, that reminds me of my third wife!!!

 

[PhilH]

Crikey, that reminds me of my third wife!!!

 

Third wife! You must like Wedding cake!!!!

[Atheling]

Third wife! You must like Wedding cake!!!!

Or not by now 

[PhilH]

Starting on a Rollo Duke of Normandy sculpt. He’s the forefather of the Normans, so he’s getting a trusty mount to carry him into battle.

[Atheling]

That pony looks great 

Are you planning on doing any larger size horses. Maybe not up to the size of a destrier but maybe a Medieval horse with an ambling gait (faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter)? It could be an interesting project(?)

[PhilH]

That pony looks great 

Are you planning on doing any larger size horses. Maybe not up to the size of a destrier but maybe a Medieval horse with an ambling gait (faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter)? It could be an interesting project(?)

I could do, I think the bigger breeds were used in later Medieval periods. I’ll do some research and see what was used.

[Atheling]

I could do, I think the bigger breeds were used in later Medieval periods. I’ll do some research and see what was used.

Yeah, I'm thinking Medieval Palfrey.

A good explanation on Wiki:

"The significant characteristic of the palfrey was that, rather than trotting, it usually possessed a smooth, ambling gait.[3] The amble was the name given to a group of smooth, four-beat gaits faster than a walk, but slower than a canter or gallop. The trot is a two-beat gait, about 8 mph, suitable for covering a lot of ground relatively quickly. However, the horse also has a bit of a spring in its motion as it switches diagonal pairs of legs with each beat, and thus can be rough for a rider, and the trot also jostles about packs or weaponry to a considerable degree. The amble is about as fast as the trot, not tiring for a horse that performs it naturally, and much smoother for the rider. Thus, because much ground transportation in the Middle Ages was on horseback, with long distances to be covered, a smooth-gaited horse was much desired."