Advice Needed - Cavalry Melee

[Paul Richardson]

Please may I ask you for your advice.

I am a collector, not a gamer. Most of my infantry units are therefore standing around in casual poses, and all my cavalry units are on standing or walking units. I am, however, so impressed by the new Bloody Miniatures riders that I thought I might put together some cavalry for a melee - probably between cuirassiers and armoured arquebusiers., using primarily the new Bloody Miniatures figures. But I am not sure which pose of horse to mount them on.

I already have a few horses in mind, including:

1. the Warlord Prince Rupert horse;
2. the Warlord Fairfax horse;
3. the Warlord Charles I horse;
4. the Ebob horse down on its haunches;
5. the Ebob rearing horse.

These are all in striking poses, but I am not sure what pose of horse to use for the rest. Presumably, in a melee, most of the horses would no longer be galloping, but would they be walking or standing? Any thoughts as to what would look best would be much appreciated.

I'm thinking about a dozen figures per side, by the way.

[Codsticker]

One of the Ebob horses is throwing it's head- that would be a good one as it could be avoiding a blow or shying from contact. Quite a few of Warlord's metal command figures are on mounts that are in an 'action' stance (for lack of a better word) but are not galloping or trotting. Including the ones you mentioned I would use James Graham's and the Earl of Essex's. Even the horses that are at the walk or trot may work, such as the one that comes with the generic P&S commander. I think just about any would work except those at the gallop and those standing around casually. Bicorne has a few that would work as well but I do not know if you can pick out specific mounts.

[Paul Richardson]

Codsticker: many thanks. That's very helpful.

[Captain Blood]

Well never having been in battle on horseback, it's only a guess mind, but my sense is that once battle was joined, horses would be twisting, rearing, backing, kicking, pushing forward - but almost certainly neither galloping at speed nor standing still.
For the upcoming inaugural Bloody cavalry release, I actually tried to pick a selection of the eBob horses which were neither standing still nor madly galloping - but moving in more interesting poses.
This was somewhat difficult because despite the ubiquity of the eBob licenced horse models (I reckon they're used by at least 10 different manufacturers), he doesn't always have stock of the masters for all his 20 or so different horses. And he didn't have stock of a couple that I wanted. Nor able to say when they would be available again. So I had to take what I could get at the time, and hand them over to Nick C for titivating. 
Hopefully they will work for most people in most situations

[Paul Richardson]

Richard: many thanks. I think your choice of poses is a good one. As you know, I'm not a fan of the madly galloping poses which you see so often, and I suspect that standing still would be rare in a melee. I think I'll use the horses you supply, mixed in with a few in bespoke poses - rearing, pulling back etc.

[Codsticker]

This was somewhat difficult because despite the ubiquity of the eBob licenced horse models (I reckon they're used by at least 10 different manufacturers), he doesn't always have stock of the masters for all his 20 or so different horses. And he didn't have stock of a couple that I wanted. Nor able to say when they would be available again. So I had to take what I could get at the time, and hand them over to Nick C for titivating. 

A little OT but... I think the best proportioned, well posed and most accurately portrayed weight bearing horse sculpts that I have ever bought are the, now no longer available, Ebob Mongol  horses.

[FifteensAway]

You've probably already been down this road but just in case - there is an image at this link showing horses in a skirmish:

https://www.askart.com/auction_records/Antoni_Trzeszczkowski/11169298/Antoni_Trzeszczkowski.aspx#preview-1

You certainly like a challenge.

[Paul Richardson]

Fifteensaway; wow. What a great image. Many thanks. I must admit that I hadn't realised that it was going to be quite so much of a challenge. The riders don't worry me as much as the horses.